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

Audubon Forester Training and Endorsement Program
Forest Resources

Audubon Forester Training and Endorsement Program

Creating a national network of professional foresters working in partnership with Audubon to promote healthy forest ecosystems that provide high-quality habitat for priority bird species, at scale.

Audubon’s Delaware River Watershed Program Takes Flight with Key Conservation Funding
Working Lands

Audubon’s Delaware River Watershed Program Takes Flight with Key Conservation Funding

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service program supports bird conservation in three critical regions of the watershed.

Grassland Birds Prioritized in New Renewable Energy Proposal
News

Grassland Birds Prioritized in New Renewable Energy Proposal

Read a statement from Audubon New York's Executive Director on draft rules for permitting new wind and solar projects.

Light Touch Forest Management Makes Large Impact for Birds
Working Lands

Light Touch Forest Management Makes Large Impact for Birds

These DIY projects are an easy way for New York landowners to try their hand at habitat management.

A Delicious Conservation Project for Birds
Working Lands

A Delicious Conservation Project for Birds

The new Bird-Friendly Maple Project being piloted in New York will help birds and anyone who loves syrup on pancakes.

Top 10 New York Forest Birds
Forest Resources

Top 10 New York Forest Birds

Without picking favorites, here are some of the birds that depend on New York's forests for feeding, nesting, and raising young.

Top Invasive Species Resource Professionals Should Monitor for Forest Health
Healthy Forests

Top Invasive Species Resource Professionals Should Monitor for Forest Health

Help New York birds by creating healthier woodland habitat.

Bird-Friendly Maple
Working Lands

Bird-Friendly Maple

A collaborative conservation project that aims to sweeten sugarbush habitat for songbirds.

WATCH: An Inside Look at Healthy Forests
Forest Resources

WATCH: An Inside Look at Healthy Forests

On this webinar recording we take a close look at some of the threats our forests and forest birds face, and what we can do to help.