Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance, Inc.
Birds Matter.
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Badgerland Bird Alliance believes that protecting and celebrating birds and nature means great things for our communities and environment. More than ever, our birds and natural places need protection. By restoring and preserving a mosaic of landscapes at our two sanctuaries - and empowering others to do the same - Madison Audubon and its members are working to keep local habitats healthy for birds and other wildlife. Furthermore, by inspiring people of all ages and backgrounds to enjoy and appreciate the natural world, we are setting the stage for a bright future for birds and for all of us. As we work together to achieve our goals, we will simultaneously be addressing some of the most important challenges in conservation by connecting people and nature in an urbanizing world, reducing our vulnerability to the effects of climate change, sharing the joys and benefits of nature with all people, and ensuring effective and permanent land protection and management.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Environmental Education
Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance provides environmental education programming to local schools, neighborhood centers, adults, and more that foster a love and appreciation for nature.
We offer adult education classes like Birding 101 and Nature Journaling and Wildlife Photography. We provide special events and public presentations about conservation phenomena and issues. We offer field trips for people of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds to enjoy birds and nature. And we offer a rigorous and fun youth education program.
Our youth education program brings the classroom outside. We provide kid- and teacher-tested, inquisitive, fun, hands-on, in-person education for kids in elementary schools and community centers. We work with children for whom spending time learning about and experiencing the outdoors can have substantial impacts on well-being. All of our kids- and especially those of color- learn that nature is accessible and beneficial for them too!
Habitat Preservation
Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance protects more than 2500 acres of land in its ten-county service area, including two Sanctuaries in Columbia County, Jefferson County, and Rock County (Goose Pond Sanctuary, Faville Grove Sanctuary, and Fair Meadows Sanctuary, respectively). When our sanctuary teams restore habitat for grassland, wetland, and woodland birds, we bring back entire natural communities and landscapes for all to enjoy.
SoWBA implements best management practices for our sanctuaries (and year-round!) and is a leader in native habitat protection and restoration. SoWBA is among only a handful of bird conservation organizations that is a nationally-accredited land trust, a seal that affirms we meet national standards for excellence, public trust, and permanence of our conservation efforts.
Advocacy
Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance works to advocate on issues of environmental conservation and education.
SoWBA explores and recommends appropriate conservation policy, informs the public about pressing issues, and forms partner alliances that advance conservation in the Midwest and beyond.
Community and Citizen Science
Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance runs a number of vibrant programs in which our members and other volunteers collect information that help address important conservation issues.
Bird Collision Corps: Up to 1 billions birds are killed by window collisions in the U.S. each year. BCC volunteers spend spring and fall migration season documenting where and when window collisions happen. From data gathered, we have advised multiple corporate mitigation projects, supported Wisconsin's first ever bird-friendly glass ordinance, and encouraged homeowners to reduce collisions at home with window treatments.
Bald Eagle Nest Watch: SoWBA coordinates this geographically wide-ranging program to better understand Wisconsin's Bald Eagles. Volunteers monitor eagle nests for activity from building through fledging of young and we are learning a lot about the status and health of our eagle populations.
And we also run the second-largest American Kestrel nest box program of its kind!
Where we work
Affiliations & memberships
Land Trust Alliance 2014
Community Shares
External reviews
Photos
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of acres of land protected
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Adults
Related Program
Habitat Preservation
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
This includes the amount of land currently owned or under easement by Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance. Most of the land is at our two wildlife sanctuaries - Goose Pond and Faville Grove.
Number of free participants on field trips
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Adults
Related Program
Environmental Education
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Our field trips are free to members and the general public and have opportunities for casual bird-lovers, families, and serious birders.
Number of clients participating in educational programs
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Children and youth, Economically disadvantaged people
Related Program
Environmental Education
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Mostly middle/elementary school kids (some online), who benefit from 10-12 week programs that visit kids in their schools/community centers weekly. 80-90% are kids from underserved communities.
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
Badgerland Bird Alliance's mission is to promote understanding, enjoyment, and protection of nature through land acquisition and management, advocacy and education. Current programs are aligned with these portions of our mission and in accordance with our long-term strategic plan.
Badgerland Bird Alliance (formerly Madison Audubon Society) was established in 1935 as the Madison Bird Club and is today one of the most dynamic chapters of the National Audubon in the nation and one of the leading conservation organizations in the Midwest. We bring birds into the lives of our more than 3,000 local members (and many others!) throughout south-central Wisconsin. And not just birds—we view birds as ambassadors for the entire natural world in all its richness of plants and animals, butterflies and bees.
• When our education team puts a pair of binoculars in the hands of a curious kid, a whole new world comes into view.
• When our sanctuary teams restore habitat for grassland, wetland and woodland birds, we bring back entire natural communities and landscapes for all to enjoy.
• When we advocate on behalf of birds, we promote a healthier, more sustainable and more inclusive human community.
• In order to have a meaningful conversation about values, we weave a love of nature and a respect for
diversity, equity, inclusion, and access into all of our work.
Our work is achieved by adhering to high-level practice, strong governance and ethical standards that ensure the public trust. Indeed, we have recently been working to achieve national land trust accreditation, a mark of distinction awarded to organizations meeting the highest national standards for excellence and land conservation permanence. This is achieved through the Land Trust Accreditation Commission, an independent program of the Land Trust Alliance, who conducted an extensive review of Badgerland Bird Alliance's policies and programs. Badgerland Bird Alliance has been working diligently to demonstrate that we meet their rigorous standards for excellence, accountability, and permanence of our conservation efforts. We were accredited in 2018 and becoming only the second Audubon chapter in the nation to do so.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Badgerland Bird Alliance is implementing best management practices for our sanctuaries and is a leader in native habitat protection and restoration. Badgerland Bird Alliance ranks third among all Audubon chapters nationwide in the number of acres we protect. Our three large wildlife sanctuaries, Fair Meadows, Goose Pond and Faville Grove provide more than 2,500 acres of quality native habitat for wildlife, including many species that have experienced severe population declines.
Badgerland Bird Alliance also has active programs that increase nesting success, such as nest boxes for wood duck, bluebirds, and American kestrels. We will continue to purchase land and hold conservation easements that will protect and restore additional acreage for the benefit wildlife and the citizens of the area. In advocacy, we explore and recommend appropriate conservation policy and form partner alliances that advance conservation in the Midwest.
Finally, we have a unique education program that aims to break the traditional mold of environmental education. First, our fun, engaging programming is FREE to community centers and schools. Second, we bring nature education right TO the kids at the places where they already do the most learning. This also allows us to show kids that nature is right outside their own front doors and have as many as 30 contact hours per child. Third, by visiting the same place weekly, we build on prior activities and cultivate trust so kids can learn and ask questions. Fourth, our long-term relationships with schools and community centers and a low teacher-to-student ratio help us create programming that is both kid- and teacher-approved. Fifth, our programs aren't just about sharing cool facts, they also empower kids to investigate, ask scientific questions, and think critically. We also often provide kids the opportunity to give back to their community through service-learning projects. Lastly, we serve a diverse community of kids. Unlike most other outdoor education programs in our region, more than 90% of our programs reached underserved communities including minority and at-risk youth. The children we are engaging are those that can most benefit from time learning about and experiencing the outdoors. We strive to increase the number of female, underserved and minority students participating in meaningful and effective environmental education.
Finally, nature is for all and needs all. We are deeply committed to improving diversity, equity, inclusion, and access in our work and in conservation broadly. Our website details many other ways we are weaving this commitment into our current and future work: https://madisonaudubon.org/commitment-to-equity.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
Badgerland Bird Alliance has a knowledgeable, dedicated, talented staff and broad and enthusiastic base of supporters that work hard to protect and celebrate birds, restore habitats, and educate people of all ages. Our programs are well-established, expertly-staffed and enjoy solid partner relationships.
Badgerland Bird Alliance's wildlife sanctuaries are managed by volunteer and staff members on a full-time, year-round basis. Land managers have more than 65 years of combined experience in conservation management, land acquisition, and are deeply familiar with the region's landscape, community, and resources. Land stewards also work on each sanctuary and are required to have relevant academic and job training experience in land management, conservation planning, and GIS. Sanctuary lands are restored and managed with the assistance of many volunteers who give generously of their time and expertise.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
Operating as a traditional “bird watching club" in its early years, Badgerland Bird Alliance has evolved into a passionate community of citizen scientists who act upon and give voice to important national, state, and local environmental issues. Indeed, Badgerland Bird Alliance has become quite a unique conservation organization. We are a essentially a hybrid between a traditional Audubon chapter and a land trust, and we are stronger because of it. In addressing the three tiers of our mission, we have emerged as a leader in conservation advocacy, formal environmental education and especially land protection and management. Unlike most bird conservation organizations, Badgerland Bird Alliance owns and manages a significant amount of land. Unlike many land trusts, the acres under our care are actively managed throughout the year to restore and maintain native habitats and species and provide myriad opportunities for public enjoyment and education. As such, we are a one of the most respected names in conservation and habitat restoration in the region. Badgerland Bird Alliance works very hard to assure that this is a perpetual (and our greatest) source of pride.
A few specific accomplishments:
• Our sanctuaries rank third nationally of all Audubon chapters in the amount of protected acreage, are the top birding hotspots in the area, and have hosted thousands of school kids from around the area to see birds, collect seeds, and learn about habitat conservation.
• In the past few years, our formal education program provided environmental education programming for dozens of area schools and neighborhood centers. Our current education programs range in scope, from months-long series teaching urban elementary school youth about Wisconsin Wildlife, to engaging at-risk individuals in conservation career training and exposure.
• Our speaker series educated thousands of community members in our area about the wonders of birds and our natural world.
• We continue a long tradition of offering high-quality field trips all over southern Wisconsin, led by local bird, ecology, and natural history experts.
Badgerland Bird Alliance is always striving for improvement. Badgerland Bird Alliance has achieved Land Trust Accreditation, making it only the second nationally-affiliated chapter in the nation to receive that honor. Our newest 5-year strategic plan was launched in 2019 and lays out an ambitious mission to expand the impact of our programs, organizational capacity, and professional practices. A new one is in the works.
We look forward to working with our members to secure a bright future for Wisconsin's amazing birds!
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive, We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback, Staff find it hard to prioritize feedback collection and review due to lack of time, It is difficult to get honest feedback from the people we serve
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance, Inc.
Board of directorsas of 02/05/2024
Matt Fortney
Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Association
Term: 2012 - 2025
Pat Eagan
UW-Madison Nelson Institute Environment and Resources degree program (retired)
Joanne Jones
Associate Director, Division of Information Technology at UW-Madison (retired)
Matt Fortney
General Counsel at Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority (WHEDA)
Olivia Dunn
Attorney, Stafford Rosenbaum LLP
Lisa Lepeak
Oncologist, SSM Dean Health
Jeff Galligan
Director, TRIO Student Support Services programs and Men of Excellence Program, Madison College
Pat Clark
Financial Advisor, Wells Fargo Advisors
Darcy Kind
Conservation Biologist, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
Dexter Patterson
Social Media Manager, Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association
Matt Krueger
Executive Director, Wisconsin Land and Water
Tim Norris
Budget Director, UW-Madison (retired)
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Transgender Identity
Sexual orientation
Disability
We do not display disability information for organizations with fewer than 15 staff.
Equity strategies
Last updated: 10/26/2023GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
- We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and / or portfolios.
- We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
- We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
- We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
- We use a vetting process to identify vendors and partners that share our commitment to race equity.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
- We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.