Conserving migratory species

Preserving access and multi-use of private and public land.

We work across borders to protect the birds, bats, and butterflies that link the Americas. Through partnerships that stretch from Alaska to Argentina, we help conserve habitats vital to migratory species—ensuring they return each year to the forests and grasslands of the United States in healthy numbers.

A long truck is parked alongside many pallets of packaged wood. A healthy Maine forest is in the background.
As many as 12 million shorebirds stop on the Copper River Delta in Alaska during the spring migration. Some notable species include Western Sandpipers, Dunlin, Red Knots, Short-billed dowitchers, Whimbrel and Black-bellied plovers. .
(Photo credit: USDA Forest Service)

Why it matters

Migratory species are essential to ecosystem health. They pollinate crops, disperse seeds, and control pests—but their populations are declining rapidly. Since 1970, North America has lost nearly three billion birds, and monarch butterfly and bat populations continue to fall. Protecting migratory habitat supports clean water, carbon storage, and local livelihoods while helping prevent species from being listed under the Endangered Species Act, which preserves access and multiple-use of public and private lands.

What we do

The Foundation and Forest Service partners with organizations across the Western Hemisphere—including Ducks Unlimited, Bat Conservation International, the Monarch Joint Venture, and Point Blue Conservation Science—to:

Mexican long-nosed bat.  Photo credit: Bat Conservation International.
  • Restore and protect habitats along major flyways in Latin America and the Caribbean.
  • Support community-based conservation, education, and sustainable livelihoods that promote coexistence with wildlife.
  • Improve scientific understanding through research, monitoring, and citizen science.
  • Conserve key species groups, including:
  • Shorebirds, through the Copper River International Migratory Bird Initiative (CRIMBI), linking partners from Alaska to Chile.
  • Grassland birds, by supporting sustainable ranching that benefits both wildlife and producers.
  • Monarch butterflies, by expanding milkweed and nectar plants across North America.
  • Migratory bats, by restoring agave habitats vital to their survival.

Together, these efforts strengthen ecosystems, sustain rural economies, and help keep wildlife off the endangered species list.


Examples of what we do:
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Ohio teachers and students. Photo credit: USDA Forest Service.

Conservation workshops for students & teachers

We train educators across the United States to lead students and community groups in hands-on science, habitat restoration, and conservation of monarch butterflies and migratory birds.

From the Great Lakes to the Great Plains, breeding and stopover sites are vital for monarchs migrating to Mexico and for birds traveling between the Caribbean and Latin America. These workshops strengthen local conservation capacity and create new learning and career opportunities.

Map credit: CRIMBI

The Copper River International Migratory Bird Initiative

CRIMBI connects partners along the Pacific Coast, as far north as Alaska and as far south as Chile, to support shorebird conservation. The concept behind CRIMBI is think globally, act locally.

Photo credit: USDA Forest Service David Borre

Sustainable ranching for birds

In Bolivia, the Forest Service IPT and partners supports Armonía’s work at Barba Azul Ranch, where sustainable grazing creates vital stopover habitat for Buff-breasted Sandpipers. The project links productive ranching with wildlife conservation, offering a regional model for grassland management.

Photo credit: USDA Forest Service

Education and outreach

Outreach and education efforts seek to raise awareness of migratory birds and foster public support for conservation goals.

Photo credit: USDA Forest Service Preston Keres

Shorebird surveys

Shorebird monitoring project to inform conservation efforts, started in 2011
‍CRIMBI partners developed and coordinated an 13-country citizen science shorebird monitoring project.To date, over one million shorebirds have been surveyed at more than 2000 sites in 13 countries by 50 organizations with more than 600 volunteers. Data analysis from the survey informs land managers on how to best protect shorebirds and their habitat.