PPH - Climate change and birds are more connected than you think, guest Brent Newman explains

​Tune in this week to hear from special guest Brent Newman, Senior Policy Director at Audubon Delta. Host Logan Burke is also joined by AAE staff members Kanitra Caston-Hill and Jesse George. The team discusses the energy work of Audubon Delta. Learn about the important link between birds, people and the environment. 

If you care about birds, you should also care about climate issues...birds are an indicator of what's happening in an ecosystem, and that includes the impacts from climate change.
                                                                                                                                                                             ​-Brent Newman

​Brent Newman explains why about a year ago Audubon decided to merge their 3 independent state offices in Arkansas, Mississippi and Louisiana, creating Audubon Delta, the regional office of the National Audubon Society. 

Audubon Delta works with its partners on coastal restoration projects on 5% of the coast. Learn about Audubon Delta's work at the Paul J. Rainey Wildlife Sanctuary - a 26,000 acres tract of land in Vermillion parish that is the oldest and largest wildlife refuge in Audubon systems. The wildlife refuge is a gorgeous section of marsh, coastal wetlands and wooded forest on the southwest side of Vermillion Bay. Brent speaks about their water management and habitat restoration projects in the area, including the Deep Lake Terracing Project - designed to improve the functionality and resiliency of 4,000 acres of wetlands in Louisiana, providing diversified habitat for fish and wildlife as the climate changes, tidal influences increase and sea level rises.

For over a decade now Audubon has been transitioning from an organization centered around learning about birds and where they live to an organization focused on protecting birds and where they live. 

Check out Audubon's Survival By Degrees Report - showing how the increase of temperatures anticipated under the IPCC reports will impact bird species in your neighborhood. The report takes a close look at 389 species of birds that are in greater danger because of increased climate change effects on their habitats; showing how migration patterns will change and where winter stopovers will be different. 

You might be wondering why birds and energy are connected? The simple answer: what's good for birds when it comes to addressing climate change is also good for the communities they share their habitat with. Advancing climate friendly development and policies that promote renewable energy growth is critical to reducing pollution, lowering global temperatures, and preserving the places that birds need to survive. Tune in to learn more about Audubon Delta's energy policy work at the local and state level in Louisiana. 

Join us as we take a closer look at energy policy in New Orleans:

• Are we preparing New Orleans to be a resilient city?
• Are we preparing New Orleans to be an equitable city?
• Are we making the right decisions for future generations in New Orleans?

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About Brent Newman

Brent joined Audubon Louisiana in 2019, with a focus on state policy and Audubon's involvement in the Restore the Mississippi River Delta Coalition. Prior to this position, he served as section chief for the Interstate and Federal Section of the Colorado Water Conservation Board. In that role he was responsible for activities relating to the Colorado River Compact, Upper Colorado River Compact and Arkansas River Compact. He managed projects and funding associated with section programming and provided section direction, input, and guidance on the implementation of Colorado's Water Plan. Brent attended the University of Mississippi for undergraduate and law school, and earned an LL.M. in Environmental and Natural Resources Law and Policy from the University of Denver.  

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About Audubon Delta

Integrating science, education, and policy, Audubon Delta works across Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi to conserve and restore natural ecosystems, focusing on birds and their habitats. The lower Mississippi River region forms the most critical bird and waterfowl migrations corridor on the continent and supports North America's largest wetland area and bottomland hardwood forest.

Audubon Delta's conservation strategy emphasizes coastal resilience and stewardship, climate adaptation and mitigation policy, native plant production and community use engagement, and conservation science.

For more information on Louisiana programs visit: la.audubon.org

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Photo credit: Anton Sorokin/Alamy