OGDEN — Ogden is one of 10 cities across the country that was selected to receive funding as part of a nationwide effort to boost awareness and conservation of migratory birds.
The $70,000 challenge grant, part of the Urban Conservation Treaty for Migratory Birds, is designed to connect cities with residents and nonprofits or educational institutions to enhance understanding of migratory birds and their role in urban settings.
Partners in the program with Ogden include the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, the Sierra Club and Weber State University. The goal is to create bird-friendly outdoor classrooms for children, bird-safe building standards and to restore riparian corridors, such as those along the Ogden River.
"I think it is a great thing for our community," said Jay Lowder, the city's director of public services. "This will go to improving outreach programs, teaching people about the wildlife that flies by us."
The funding, he said, will help such community efforts by WSU's Zoology Department, which has an avian ecology lab connecting curriculum with on-the-ground fieldwork related to migratory birds.
A statement by the federal agency said the wide variety of native birds thriving in Ogden’s urban area underscores the importance of maintaining eco-friendly urban and suburban habitat.
"For the vast majority of people, birds represent their most frequent contact with wildlife. Birds are a valuable resource, contributing aesthetically, culturally, scientifically, and economically to America's citizens. By taking steps to conserve birds and their habitat, we can also make our communities better places to live," said Dan Ashe, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service director. The federal agency administers the program.
Other recipients are: Lewiston, Mont., Phoenix; Kennedale, Texas; Twin Cities – Minneapolis and St. Paul; Indianapolis; Opelika, Ala.; Hartford; San Francisco; and Washington, D.C.
— Amy Joi O'Donoghue, Twitter: amyjoi16