Audubon N.C. director to speak in Wilmington on climate change risks for N.C. birds

The National Audubon Society’s new groundbreaking report, Survival by Degrees, shows more than 200 bird species in North Carolina are vulnerable to extinction because of changes to our climate, and many of those are birds that live in the Cape Fear region.

Andrew Hutson, Audubon North Carolina executive director, and National Audubon Society vice president will present the report’s findings at a special event to be held 7-8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 3 at Lumina Theater, 615 Hamilton Drive, Wilmington. Hutson will talk about what we can do about it. The event, host by Cape Fear Audubon Society and Seahawk Audubon, is free and open to the public.

Two-thirds of North American bird species are at risk, according to the Audubon report. In North Carolina, birds are facing more extreme weather, heavier rain, and hotter spring temperatures. On the coast, in places like Wilmington, sea level rise threatens critical habitat for iconic and beloved species like brown pelicans, black skimmers, and least terns.

But there is room for optimism in the report. Audubon scientists also considered what a different future could look like for North Carolina and our birds. If we take action now to limit global temperature increases, the odds improve for more than three-fourths of the bird species that are vulnerable. Rising to this challenge requires all of us doing what we can starting at home, like growing native plants and getting involved with your local Audubon chapter. But it also requires big, bipartisan policy solutions in North Carolina that move us toward a cleaner energy future.

The National Audubon Society protects birds and the places they need, today and tomorrow. A nonprofit conservation organization since 1905, Audubon works throughout the Americas using science, advocacy, education, and on-the-ground conservation.

Audubon North Carolina, a state program of the National Audubon Society, has offices in Wilmington, Durham, Boone, and Corolla. For more information, visit, www.nc.audubon.org.

Cape Fear Audubon is an affiliate of Audubon North Carolina and the National Audubon Society. Details about chapter activities are available at capefearaudubon.org. Seahawk Audubon is the UNCW student-led chapter.

The StarNews welcomes and will consider publishing Your Voice stories contributed by readers, nonprofits and clubs. They should be around 300 words and accompanied by a good-quality photograph. Email community@starnewsonline.com for the link to the form for Your Voice articles.