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The Atlanta Flyway Cities Coalition Takes Off!

(National Wildlife Federation)

The first meeting of the Metro Atlanta Flyway Cities Coalition was held on March 12, 2009 at Georgia Wildlife Federation's Alcovy Conservation Center just outside of Atlanta.

What Exactly is the Flyway Cities Coalition?

The Flyway Cities Coalition is a national program that is currently working locally in three metropolitan areas: San Diego, California; Ft. Lauderdale, Florida; and now our newest Flyway City, Atlanta, Georgia. The Flyway Cities Coalition brings together diverse groups in urban areas throughout the flyways of the United States in a common mission of protecting wildlife and their habitats. A flyway describes a north-to-south migration route used by many species of migratory birds and butterflies. It is also a useful term for describing the movement of both plant and animals northward over time in response to warming trends in the southern parts of their current ranges. For many species, a city represents an impassable barrier, a place where native plant and animal communities cease to exist. We want to change that trend.

One way to help in the struggle to recreate healthy, livable cities for people and for wildlife is to connect areas of habitat (both aquatic and terrestrial) through cities, tying them to the surrounding rural landscapes. We do this by creating productive partnerships of local organizations concerned with habitat restoration and by increasing the base of volunteers and activists to expand the coalition's activities over time. More information about the Flyway Cities Coalition can be found on our website www.flywaycities.org.

Atlanta Flyway Cities Coalition Launch Meeting

The launch meeting for the Metro Atlanta Flyway Cities Coalition was opened by Jerry McCollum, Georgia Wildlife Federation President, and Glenn Dowling, Georgia Wildlife Federation Executive Vice President, who spoke about Georgia Wildlife Federation's wildlife habitat projects. The meeting was facilitated by Jenny Plourde Pahl, Project Coordinator at the River Basin Center of the Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, whose Ph.D. research is partly funded by the Flyway Cities Coalition. Dr. Ronald Carroll and Jenny Pahl at the River Basin Center at the University of Georgia are providing local coordination for the Metro Atlanta Flyway Cities Coalition.

The Flyway Cities Coalition National Program was introduced by Dr. Kimberly Winter, Habitats Program Manager, and Nicole Rousmaniere, Habitats Program Senior Coordinator. They spoke about the national Coalition's background, goals, and successes in Ft. Lauderdale and San Diego, as well as the National Wildlife Federation's role in the Coalition.

Dr. Ronald Carroll, Professor with the University of Georgia's Odum School of Ecology and River Basin Center, spoke about the need for a Flyway Cities Coalition in the Atlanta region. Taki Osborne Jelks, Community and Leadership Development Programs Manager for NWF's Southeast Regional Center in Atlanta spoke about NWF's outreach and education work in the Atlanta area.

Participants introduced themselves to the group and briefly spoke about why they were interested in the Flyway Cities Coalition. Following introductions, we formed into smaller groups focused on topics related to education, outreach and advocacy, and greenspace and land and water use and planning to discuss our concerns, individual and organizational interests, and possible strategies concerning these habitat-related themes. Each group then gave a brief presentation summarizing their discussions. We concluded the meeting by reviewing the events of the day and progress made, where the Coalition might focus its efforts and what ‘next steps’ Coalition groups can take together to achieve success.

Our thanks to the Georgia Wildlife Federation staff, particularly Shirl Parsons and Terry Tatum, for hosting and helping to organize the event.

Related Links:

Flyway Cities Coalition website