Winneshiek County has been designated a "Bird Friendly Iowa Community"

Winneshiek County is now one of just three counties in Iowa which have been designated a "Bird Friendly Iowa Community."

The Bird Friendly Iowa designation is awarded through a competitive application process to communities that demonstrate a strong commitment to preserving and expanding bird habitat and encouraging citizens to engage in birding, bird conservation, and related outdoor recreation activities. Winneshiek County joins Polk County and Story County is receiving the designation.

Winneshiek County is being recognized for efforts to educate and engage the public about birds, reduce threats to birds, and protect, restore, and enhance the habitats that birds rely on. The countywide efforts toward these goals include managing parks and other natural areas to promote diverse, native habitat, leading bird hikes, and conducting birdhouse building workshops, and limiting roadside mowing before July 15th to help protect ground-nesting birds.

"Birds are an extremely important means of connecting communities and citizens with our environment," said Dan Cohen of the Bird Friendly Iowa Steering Committee. "Birds serve as indicators of healthy soil, water, air, native vegetation, and other natural resources. Providing quality bird habitat can help reverse the dramatic decline of populations of birds, Monarch butterflies, and other critical components of biodiversity, locally or even at statewide and higher levels."

The application for designation was coordinated by Winneshiek County Conservation. "Many departments, organizations, and individuals across Winneshiek County work hard to protect, support, and enjoy our birds," said Winneshiek County Conservation Director Barb Schroeder.  "Bird Friendly Iowa recognition honors that collective work and will help our entire community continue to ensure we have healthy, diverse birds long into the future."

More information about Bird Friendly Iowa is at www.BirdFriendlyIowa.org.