Photo by Monte Costa

Most companies measure success by their profits from selling products. As a nonprofit organization, Audubon’s mission is to protect birds and other wildlife. How do we measure success? First, we monitor trends in bird and wildlife populations. If they’re in trouble, we take action. Second, we protect the habitats that birds and other wildlife need to survive. We call them Important Bird Areas. They range from large places like the Everglades and South San Francisco Bay to smaller places like Battery Island, in North Carolina.

In addition to measuring these long-term conservation results, we measure the strategies we use to accomplish these results. We believe our environment will be safe only when people care about it and take action to protect it. So we are building a grassroots movement of people who are inspired and motivated to do their part to save the planet, a movement that is inclusive and diverse, and that empowers each individual to contribute whatever he or she can.

For nearly a century our primary vehicles for reaching people have been Audubon magazine and our local Chapters. More recently, we have expanded our network of Audubon Centers to engage more people, particularly in urban areas, demonstrating our commitment to building a movement that reflects the changing face of America.

The Internet now enables us to engage people who might not attend a Chapter meeting or visit an Audubon Center. For example, Audubon has pioneered the field of Citizen Science, through which volunteers monitor bird and wildlife populations and record their observations online. With this data, we measure trends and set conservation priorities.

Our newest effort to engage people is called Audubon at Home. It gives you the information you need to make wise conservation choices in your everyday life about the products you buy, the food you eat, what you grow in your backyard, the chemicals you use, and the car you drive.

And, of course, we want you to be informed about critical public policies affecting the environment, so that you can speak out. Today we face the greatest threats ever to basic environmental protections, direct attacks on our clean water, clean air, and protected places. These attacks can be stopped if enough people speak out.

So you are the most important measure of our success—you, along with thousands of others like you, forming a vast community of people who care about the environment, and who take action.

Our last measure of success is your support. New and unexpected threats to the environment never end. Only with your financial help can this movement remain strong and vigilant. To learn more, go to www.audubon.org.