Governor Larry Hogan proclaimed 2018 as the Year of the Bird in Maryland. The declaration celebrates native and migratory birds making their way through Maryland, as well as the Free State’s remarkable landscapes and water resources that support them.
“Maryland is home to some of the most beautiful and iconic birds in the world – from the majestic Great Blue Heron on the Chesapeake Bay to our state bird, the Baltimore Oriole,” said Governor Larry Hogan. “The Year of the Bird is an opportunity for Maryland citizens and tourists alike to celebrate the educational and recreational role of birds that live and migrate through our state, as well as a great reminder of the importance of conserving our natural resources. I want to thank the National Audubon Society for their efforts to protect birds and their habitats in Maryland and beyond.”
Governor Hogan’s Deputy Chief of Staff Jeannie Haddaway-Riccio delivered the proclamation to more than 200 guests at Pickering Creek Audubon Center’s “Annual Tour, Toast and Taste” fundraiser. Held at Lombardy Estate in Easton, MD, this event helps raise funds for Audubon’s efforts to further environmental education for school-aged students.
Audubon is proud to work with a host of state and federal agencies on important bird area protection, environmental literacy and sea level rise adaptation, including the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and the Maryland State Department of Education on Governor Hogan’s Project Green Classrooms.
Maryland is home to 42 Important Bird Areas, more than 400 observed species and the Chesapeake Bay watershed, which serves as an important breeding and stopover area for millions of migratory birds each year. The Governor’s declaration recognizes that Maryland’s natural resources provide important habitat for birds.
People around the world are celebrating 2018 as Year of the Bird to mark the centennial of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA), one of the oldest wildlife protection laws in the United States. In honor of this milestone, National Geographic, Audubon, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, BirdLife International, and dozens of other partners around the world joined forces to celebrate 2018 as the Year of the Bird.
“Year of the Bird is an easy way people can take small everyday actions to help birds along their journeys,” said David Yarnold, president and CEO for National Audubon Society. “Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay provides wintering grounds for approximately one-third of the Atlantic coast’s migratory population, including iconic waterfowl species like the Tundra Swan, Canada Goose, Northern Pintail and Green-winged Teal for centuries. We’d like to thank Governor Hogan for declaring 2018 as Year of the Bird and recognizing the importance of birds and the places we share.”
Many conservation organizations, agencies, businesses and academics have been instrumental in protecting birds and the places they need in Maryland. In celebrating 2018 as the Year of the Bird, there is great appreciation for the efforts of many organizations, including local Audubon chapters and centers, the Maryland Ornithological Society, the Department of Natural Resources, waterfowl associations and duck clubs, and many others.
To learn more about Year of the Bird, visit: https://www.audubon.org/yearofthebird.
Audubon’s Dr. David Curson, David O’Neill, Governors Hogan’s Deputy Chief of Staff Jeannie Haddaway-Riccio, Audubon’s Mark Scallion, Jaime Bunting and Southern Maryland Audubon Society’s Mike Callahan with a Red-tailed Hawk with Governor Hogan’s Year of the Bird Proclamation.
