Healthy Forests

Learn more about why healthy New York forests are essential for birds and people.

Forest with high structural diversity. Photo: Nicholas A. Tonelli/Flickr (CC BY 2.0)

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New York’s forests offer some of the largest and most intact forested landscapes in the Atlantic Flyway.

Stretching from the Pine Barrens of Long Island, through the Hudson Highlands and Catskills, across the Allegheny Plateau, all the way north to the Tug Hill Plateau and the Adirondacks, New York’s forests are home to more than three dozen bird species of conservation concern.

Although forests in the U.S. have largely rebounded since the height of agricultural land clearing in the early 20th Century, many remain fragmented or provide habitat of poor quality due to incompatible management, invasive species, and overabundant deer, while others continue to be lost to development and stressed by a changing climate.

Healthy forests are resilient to stressors such as climate change and invasive species, and they provide critical ecosystem services that benefit people, including flood control, water quality protection, and carbon sequestration, as well as forest products and recreational opportunities.

Audubon New York is collaborating with other state programs within the Atlantic Flyway to address these threats and to protect and improve forest bird breeding habitat in North America via public programs and private partnerships.

If you are a landowner or manager interested in improving habitat for birds and other wildlife, check out the Healthy Forest Resources. Land owners in or near Priority Forest Areas can fill out our Landowner Assistance Form, and we'll do our best to be in touch in 2-3 weeks.

Where We Work

Adirondack Forest Tract
Healthy Forests

Adirondack Forest Tract

A globally significant Important Bird Area, the Adirondack region is home to the largest relatively intact tract of forest habitat in New York State.

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Hudson River Valley Conservation
Healthy Forests

Hudson River Valley Conservation

Guidance for Management of Priority Birds in the Hudson River Valley

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News & Updates

Q&A with Claire Mann, new Audubon forester
News

Q&A with Claire Mann, new Audubon forester

Focusing on bird-friendly habitat projects in the Allegheny Highlands and northern New York

 Hudson Valley’s “Laurel & Ash Farm” Becomes Bird-Friendly Maple Syrup Producer
Working Lands

Hudson Valley’s “Laurel & Ash Farm” Becomes Bird-Friendly Maple Syrup Producer

Just in time for farmers’ market season, Laurel & Ash is being recognized for managing its sugarbush in ways that help declining forest birds.

Fairbanks Maple Officially Recognized as a Bird-Friendly Maple Syrup Producer
News

Fairbanks Maple Officially Recognized as a Bird-Friendly Maple Syrup Producer

Just in time for production season, this Chautauqua County family-run business is being recognized for managing its sugarbush in ways that help declining forest birds.

​Audubon Announces First-Ever Endorsed Foresters
Working Lands

​Audubon Announces First-Ever Endorsed Foresters

We are thrilled to share that Caitlin Cusack (Vermont) and John MacNaught (New York) have become endorsed for prioritizing bird habitat in their management recommendations.

Managing Your Sugarbush with Birds in Mind
Working Lands

Managing Your Sugarbush with Birds in Mind

The following guidelines help ensure important bird habitat characteristics are integrated into sugarbush management. They are also intended to be used as criteria for Audubon's maple product recognition program.

DIY Forest Management Projects to Try In Winter
Healthy Forests

DIY Forest Management Projects to Try In Winter

Winter is a particularly great time to try these management activities, since it’s outside the nesting season.

Nearly $1M Awarded to Audubon Conservation Projects in Connecticut and New York
News

Nearly $1M Awarded to Audubon Conservation Projects in Connecticut and New York

Funding from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation will allow Audubon Connecticut and New York to continue and start new conservation projects.

Meet Our New Forester for the Birds
Healthy Forests

Meet Our New Forester for the Birds

As a Forest Program Associate for Connecticut and New York, Rosa Goldman works with local landowners to make their forests healthier for birds and other wildlife.

Five Forest-dependent Birds that Return in Early Spring
Conservation

Five Forest-dependent Birds that Return in Early Spring

Learn about each species and what you can do to improve forest habitat.

New York's First Maple Producers Receive Bird-Friendly Recognition
Press Room

New York's First Maple Producers Receive Bird-Friendly Recognition

Syrup from Bird-Friendly Maple producers is good for birds, and your breakfast table!