Get Involved in Conservation
It’s probably no surprise to you the birds are endangered, locally, nationally, and world-wide. MOS is trying to do something about those threats. We have a very active Conservation Committee that monitors issues at all levels and collaborates with other organizations to help birds survive. Recent examples include:
Safe Skies Maryland is a subcommittee of MOS to foster bird-safe structures whether they be building or wind turbines or towers. One recent issue that Safe Skies championed was support for two bills in the Maryland Legislature (House and Senate) to establish bird-safe standards for Maryland government buildings.
Maryland’s Forest Conservation Act needs improvements after being in force for 27 years. MOS teamed with Audubon MD/DC to support MD House Bill 766 which would provide more effective protection of priority forests. The bill includes Forest Interior Dwelling Species (FIDS) habitat to define priority forest. FIDS, as defined by Maryland Department of Natural Resources, are bird species that require large intact areas of mature forest and thus act as effective indicators of interior forest habitat.
MOS worked with Maryland Pesticide Education Network in support of a law signed by Maryland Governor Hogan banning the use of bee-harming neonicotinoid (“neonic”) pesticide on state land that has been designated pollinator habitat.