Short-tailed Shearwater by Karl Stoltzfus/Audubon Photography Award
Conservation Conversations
by Sallie Thoreson, Co-President of Black Canyon Audubon Society
May 19, 2026
Are you smarter than a fourth grader?
Maybe… Five of us from Black Canyon Audubon Society plus a Bio Sci Tech from Curecanti NRA, spent May 12, 2026 with fourth grade classes from around the area. It was part of the annual 4th Grade Natural Resource Festival. At our station, we talked about Gunnison Sage-grouse. Habitat was a big part of the discussion. Fourth graders have studied this and can readily tell you about the components of habitat: food, cover, shelter and space, and they can tell you what these components mean for many individual species. Let’s all keep thinking about habitat; check in with a fourth grader if you have any questions. Thank you teachers for leading the way, and to the students for paying attention!
Colorado Legislative Session
The 2026 Colorado legislative session ended on May 11, 2026. While all decisions are not final quite yet, we do know a few things. Among the bills that did not pass--but that will probably be brought forward again next year--were bills to limit the use of neonicotinoid-coated seeds, to restrict the use of certain rodenticides, and to place guardrails on large data centers. Now for the Good News about bills that passed: a bill that encourages state agencies to prioritize the use of pollinator plants; a "Plug-In Solar” bill to help make low-cost solar energy more accessible to homeowners; and the continuation of a wildlife collision prevention program, funded through an optional fee on vehicle registration. Also, early in the session, both houses passed a joint resolution to reaffirm the state’s opposition to federal efforts to sell, transfer, or privatize the state's 22 million acres of national public lands. A full report on the conservation issues from the 2026 legislative session will be posted on the BCAS website in June.
Damaging ESA amendments failed
Good news and a sigh of relief for all supporters of the Endangered Species Act. The proposed Endangered Species Act (ESA) Amendments Act of 2025 would have made reforms to the ESA to delay decisions, hinder scientific decision making, and lessen public input. The House bill was pulled from floor consideration. The Endangered Species Coalition reported that the more than 58,000 emails and hundreds of calls made “it clear that the American people support the Endangered Species Act, understand its value, and want its protections for threatened and endangered wildlife to remain in place." Our voices do matter! A good place to follow legislation like this is at the Action Center | Audubon
Indigenous groups are collaborating from pole to pole
Short-tailed Shearwaters exclusively breed on islands off southern and Australia. Their numbers would once black the skies, as observed by the indigenous peoples there. After breeding, the entire population of birds travel 15,000 km (over 9,300 miles) to Alaska, with newly fledged chicks in tow, to spend the northern summer. When autumn begins there, the birds head back to Australia. Both the Wudjari in Australia and the Yup’ik in Alaska realized they were losing these birds, which are important to both cultures and vital to the ecosystems where the birds and people live. The peoples are now working together to tag birds and study their movements and ecology. Check out the article: Indigenous groups in Australia and Alaska have teamed up to track a feathered adventurer’s epic journey | Indigenous Australians | The Guardian
Great Old Broads workshop July 17 in Grand Junction
The Grand Junction chapter of the Great Old Broads for Wilderness is hosting a one-day workshop in Grand Junction, Colorado on July 17, 2026. The workshop will feature author Terry Tempest Williams. The two themes of the workshop are Ecological Stewardship of Public Lands Through Partnerships and Spiritual Values and Traditional Knowledge. The meeting will include an optional field trip to the scenic and culturally significant Dolores River Canyon. Details on the workshop and registration are on the Great Old Broads for Wilderness website.