Philadelphia Zoo And Audubon Society Reveal Impact Of Climate Change On Birds

By Bill Larson 

Philadelphia, PA - Audubon Pennsylvania and Zoo staff answered questions about impact on local birds, and about Zoo's "Footprints" program to combat climate change.

Philadelphia Zoo host edNational Audubon Society's media teleconference to reveal findings from analysis of 40 years of Christmas Bird Counts that point to impact of climate change in continental U.S.; Audubon Pennsylvania Executive Director Phil Wallis and Fairmount Park Outreach Coordinator Keith Russell gave state-specific findings and had a Q&A about impact on Pennsylvania birds; Philadelphia Zoo Director of Conservation Kim Lengel profiled Zoo’s "Footprints" program to combat climate change in Philadelphia and around the globe and highlights local focus of Zoo’s new McNeil Avian Center.

Because birds are well-known indicators of environmental health, their movements and population trends can reveal much about serious changes to our world.  Frequent sightings outside usual seasonal locations raise questions about the local impact of global climate change.  Now, analysis of 40 years of exhaustive population/location data provides surprising answers with important implications for all Americans. Is climate change having a biological impact here in Philadelphia and the region?  Through a national teleconference, National Audubon Society officials described how different species of birds are moving, what those movements suggest for bird health, for habitats and for our future, and detailed actions that citizens can take in response to the findings.

Following the National Audubon teleconference, Audubon Pennsylvania Executive Director Phil Wallis and Fairmount Park Outreach Coordinator Keith Russell answered specific questions about how climate change impacts our local birds, and how a partnership between Audubon Pennsylvania and the Philadelphia Zoo is helping this cause.  Philadelphia Zoo Director of Conservation Kim Lengel profiled the Zoo’s new McNeil Avian Center (opening in May 2009), which tells the story of bird migration and the important role that the Delaware Valley region plays for millions of migrating birds. Lengel also highlighted the Zoo's recently-initiated “Footprints” program, which works on both local and global fronts to combat climate change. 
 
Through the “Footprints” program, the Philadelphia Zoo shares what we can each do to reduce activities that create greenhouse-gases.  The Zoo also offers a unique opportunity for visitors and others to offset their carbon footprint through donations to the “Footprints” program, which funds reforestation projects at the Zoo, in Fairmount Park, and abroad in Borneo. 
 
The Philadelphia Zoo, America's first zoo, is preparing to celebrate the 150th anniversary of its founding. Chartered by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania on March 21, 1859, the Zoo is currently home to over 1,300 animals from around the world, many rare and endangered. Welcoming more than one million visitors each year from throughout the region and beyond, the Zoo serves children and families as a unique and engaging public resource for wildlife conservation and education. The Philadelphia Zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. For more information, including 150th Anniversary Fun Facts updated daily, or to purchase and print tickets online, visit www.philadelphiazoo.org.