AUDUBON OHIO DESIGNATES HUESTON WOODS STATE PARK AS
‘IMPORTANT BIRD AREA’

Columbus, OH, April 22, 2003 ­ On Saturday, April 26, Audubon Ohio will dedicate Hueston Woods State Park as an Important Bird Area (IBA). The dedication will take place at 1:30 p.m. during the Audubon Miami Valley Society’s “Birday” celebration marking the 218th anniversary of John James Audubon’s birth. Participants will meet in the Acton Room adjacent to the Park Office before proceeding outside for the dedication ceremony.

The IBA program is Audubon Ohio’s lead conservation initiative. The goals of the initiative are to identify key areas throughout the state that are critical to the survival of birds, and to promote the conservation of these areas in order to maintain healthy bird populations.

Hueston Woods is one of 97 IBAs that have been identified so far in Ohio. Located in Butler and Preble Counties, this site includes unique mature beech-maple forest, deciduous woodlands, Acton Lake and various streamside, or riparian, corridors.

The Hueston Woods IBA includes unique habitats for habitat-specific rare species. It functions as a stopover site for neotropical migrants, and as a sanctuary for many vagrant species. It supports breeding records for priority bird species such as Yellow-crowned Night-Herons, Black Vultures, Northern Harrier, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Virginia Rail, Sora, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Barn Owl, Whip-poor-will, Red-headed Woodpecker, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Purple Martin, Blue-winged Warbler, Golden-winged Warbler, Cerulean Warbler, Prothonotary Warbler, Northern Waterthrush, Vesper Sparrow, and Eastern Meadowlark.

“Hueston Woods is a perfect example of the important role Ohio’s landscape plays in the survival of birds,” said Jerome Tinianow, executive director of Audubon Ohio. “We are located right in the middle of a major flyway, which means that birds pass through every part of the state as they travel to their winter and summer destinations. They rely on our land to survive their journeys. Through Audubon’s Important Bird Areas program, we are working to ensure places like Hueston Woods continue to be managed for the benefit of these birds, as well as the enjoyment of local communities.”

Under the direction of biology professor Dr. Edward H. Burtt of Ohio Wesleyan University, the Ohio Important Bird Areas Technical Committee designates the state’s IBAs according to strict standardized scientific criteria. IBA sites must meet at least one of the following criteria in order to qualify: a high concentration of birds; birds associated with a unique habitat; one or more species of high conservation priority; or a long history of bird research.

The committee prepares information on IBAs that includes location, type of habitat, significance to bird populations, and additional information obtained through the scientific evaluation process. This information will be distributed to state, county and municipal planning commissions, local land trusts, Audubon chapters and other habitat conservation groups, enabling them to add these sites to their local conservation agendas.

While the IBA program confers no regulatory status, the information gathered about each site can help create model ordinances for local governments, and serve as the basis for educational materials and programs designed to increase public awareness. Other opportunities may include direct conservation measures, such as public acquisition, conservation easements, and management guides.

As a critical flyway used by migrating North American and Neotropical birds, the Ohio region is abundant in birdlife and plays a vital role in the breeding, feeding, and migration cycles of hundreds of bird species. Audubon Ohio’s IBA program seeks public involvement in the conservation of a network of nearly 100 sites throughout the state that will be protected or managed with the conservation of these birds in mind.

Started in Europe in the late 1980s by BirdLife International, the IBA program has been a powerful conservation tool, protecting millions of acres of habitats. In the U.S., the National Audubon Society pioneered the first statewide IBA project in Pennsylvania in 1995. The IBA program is currently underway in nearly all 50 states, and more than 1,000 IBAs have been designated in the United States alone.

Established in September 1998, Audubon Ohio is the state office of the National Audubon Society, which was founded in 1905 with 500,000 members and supporters in more chapters throughout the Americas. Audubon Ohio’s mission is to promote the conservation and restoration of ecosystems, focusing on birds and other wildlife through advocacy, education, stewardship and chapter support, for the benefit of Ohio citizens of today and tomorrow.

Audubon Miami Valley invites the public to the BIRDAY PARTY ­ CELEBRATING CONSERVATION from Noon to 3 pm on April 26 at Hueston Woods State Park’s Acton Room. Cake and ice cream and “Birday” activities will accompany the awards ceremony. For more info contact Audubon Miami Valley President, Bill Heck at 513-523-7715 or <mailto:studios@artallover.com>studios@artallover.com


Audubon is dedicated to protecting birds and other wildlife and the habitat that supports them. Our national network of community-based nature centers and chapters, scientific and educational programs, and advocacy on behalf of areas sustaining important bird populations, engage millions of people of all ages and backgrounds in positive conservation experiences.