My first visit to Washington, D.C. felt a bit like going to Los Angeles for the first time.  It was chaotic, crowded, thrilling, and a little intimidating.  However, unlike LA, celebrity in D.C. also comes with being some of the most powerful decision makers in the world. It was surreal to hear talking points from C-SPAN in Congress’ basement cafeteria while the champions of all the issues I’m passionate about were somewhere in the building making statements and preparing for votes that will affect the whole country.    

Earlier this month, as Audubon California’s new Senior Water Policy Program Manager, I represented Audubon California in over 10 meetings with members of Congress to discuss the needs of birds as part of the annual Migratory Bird Joint Ventures Fly-In. Migratory Bird Joint Ventures are regional partnerships of agencies, NGOs, and commercial interests dedicated to advancing bird conservation, and I was there to support the San Francisco Bay (SFBJV) and Central Valley Joint Ventures alongside our partners, including Defenders of Wildlife, Ducks Unlimited, Grasslands Water District, and The Nature Conservancy. We advocated for greater protections for migratory birds, more funding for National Wildlife Refuges, and expanding opportunities for partnerships between agencies, industry, landowners, and communities. We also pushed for legislation and federal budget appropriations that will protect surface water supplies for wetlands, protect more bird habitat, and build resilience to climate impacts like sea level rise. It was encouraging to see the positive responses from the House and Senate offices we met with, especially members who represent districts where I’m actively working on multi-benefit groundwater sustainability projects.

Every time I visited the cafeteria for more coffee (we had very early meetings on East Coast time!), I was increasingly impressed and humbled to see hundreds of different groups advocating for their own priorities. Just like me and my colleagues, they were crowded around little tables, rehearsing for their next big meeting. It was inspiring to think how we all took on the same challenges, security lines, and pots of coffee to make our pitches to our elected officials and try to improve policy outcomes across the country.   

Once I got over the initial intimidation, my confidence grew as I realized we were all standing in the same crossroads of history and power, just regular people working for change. It reinforced for me how important it is to communicate with our elected officials, whether through telephone calls, written letters (often through action alerts), or in-person meetings. You don’t have to be an expert with all the answers, you just have to care and show up.  

I’m very grateful that I had the opportunity to visit Washington to advocate on behalf of birds and the environment. I’m looking forward to the next opportunity to create more coalition power through advocacy and partnership with our elected officials.