Our MissionConserving critical habitat for endangered, threatened and rapidly declining grassland birds

Conserving Land

Grasslands are the fastest disappearing habitat in North America. Grassland birds eat insects and rodents that damage crops. They share their habitat with bees and butterflies that pollinate fruits, vegetables, hay and other crops.
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Preserving Biodiversity

Conserved grasslands protect endangered and threatened birds like Short-eared owls, Upland sandpipers and meadowlarks. They also provide important habitat for over 100 other bird and wildlife species, including thousands of pollinators!
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Mitigating Climate Change

Grasses filter carbon out of the air and store it underground in their roots or the soil. Unlike forests, the majority of the carbon is not released if the grasses catch fire, making them better able to withstand climate change.
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Our Mission

Grassland Birds need us – and we need them.

Your support will help save our world!

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700Million Grassland Birds Lost the past 50 years

258Acres Conserved

78Acres Owned & Managed

Upcoming Events

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Winter Raptor Fest

See Owls, Hawks and Falcons in flight! NEW DATES for 2020: October 3 & 4

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Recent News

Birding with the Bird Collective

April 26th, 2020

Excerpt from Bird Collective April E-newsletter: “We were on the move at the end of February to see all the amazing work that the Grassland Bird Trust, our first partner organization, is doing in upstate New York. We met Laurie LaFond, the founder of GBT, to share with her the funds we’ve raised so far, […]

GBT recognizes 2019 Volunteers of the Year

February 29th, 2020

Congratulations to Mary-Beth Wagner, 2019 Volunteer of the Year! Last year she contributed well over 100 hours helping to plan, organize and set up the Winter Raptor Fest WILD Encounter – then staffed it on both days! She’s not afraid to get her hands dirty, either. Last year she organized, oversaw and implemented a tree planting project […]

NYC Clothing Designer Launches New GBT Line!

December 16th, 2019

North America has lost 3 Billion Birds in the last 50 years. Tina Alleva and Angie Co recently launched The Bird Collective, an apparel company featuring eco-friendly clothes and accessories, to help fund projects that can reverse that decline and create a better future for birds and wildlife. They chose GBT as the first conservation […]

This grassland has tremendous ecological value, protecting an important habitat. And there’s a tourism value as well…”

– New York State Senator Elizabeth (Betty) Little

Acres for Owls Campaign

Grassland Bird Trust is the only nonprofit dedicated to acquiring and conserving critical habitat for New York’s endangered grassland birds. We’ve conserved or helped conserve over 250 acres of critical habitat since our founding in 2010. We own and manage 78 acres at the site of our Alfred Z. Solomon Grassland Bird Viewing Area (AZS). The viewing area is located in the heart of the Washington County Grasslands Important Bird Area (IBA).

Please help us raise $250,000 to purchase and permanently protect another 100 acres of critical habitat!