When the Altacal Audubon Society decided to launch its Neighborhood Habitat Certification Program in 2014, the National Audubon Society was still months away from releasing its groundbreaking study predicting the effects of global warming on birds. Altacal's goal had always been to create habitat for birds and conserve water, and that was certainly important enough.

But when the report came out highlighting the risk that 170 California species were in danger of going extinct in the coming decades, Altacal’s project gained even more urgency as a much-needed way for the community to help birds weather the challenges of global warming.

“Climate is at the forefront of our minds,” said Melinda Teves, who runs the new program for the chapter.

According to Teves, Altacal Audubon’s location in Chico highlights both the importance of protecting the birds of the Pacific Flyway (millions of birds fly through the area to take advantage of nearby wetlands) and the vital importance of water conservation.

The Neighborhood Habitat Certification Program encourages residents to replace unused lawn areas with native habitat and water conservation features. They’ve partnered with a wide variety of organizations in the areas that specialize in native plants, gardening, and landscaping. In many ways, the project’s value is that it connects community members to this terrific expertise.

“A lot of California’s land is in our hands,” Teves said. “If we look at how much yard space is in our hands, collectively, that adds up to a lot of land. We don’t have to wait for the government or someone else to protect land or pass a law. We can do so much with what we control.”

Teves said that the newly-launched project has already enlisted a dozen or so participants. She and her chapter are aiming for 50 yards in the first year, and are already talking about reaching out to schools to set up gardens. A series of community workshops is also in the works.

The project has already received support from the city of Chico and the local water district, and got a tremendous boost last year when it received a grant from TogetherGreen, a partnership between Audubon and Toyota.

(Bushtits are among the many backyard birds that will benefit from native habitat created by Altacal's program. Photo by Richard Griffin)