Top 40 Things You Can Do to Help Raptors - 21-30

In honor of our 40th anniversary, we'd like to share 40 things you can do to help raptors.  Our first 10 are in our Spring Raptor Release newsletter, which you can download here.

We posted 11-20 here.

The next 21-30 are here:

21. Build or purchase bird houses. Cavity-nesting species like American kestrels will thank you for it!

22. Wash your clothes in cold or warm but not hot. And only launder when you have a full load.

23. Drink water from the tap. Bring your own re-usable water bottle instead of buying/using the plastic water bottles you throw away (or recycle).

24. Plant native trees! Plant native bushes! These are important for cover and food for both migrating and nesting birds.

25. Buy second hand from a second hand store or garage/yard sale. Donate used items instead of throwing them away.

26. Adjust your thermostat down in the winter and up in the summer.

27. Reduce or eliminate pesticide and herbicide use. Using fewer chemicals in your yard and home helps keep wildlife, pets and people healthy.

28. Drink "bird friendly" coffee and invest in your own coffee cup that you bring to the coffee shop.

29. Turn off the lights when you leave a room. The bright lights of nighttime city skylines confuse and disorient migrating birds that need to see the stars to follow their migration routes. Many cities now participate in "Lights Out" programs to remove that obstacle during peak migration periods.

30. Use re-usable bags to the stores. Cut down on the amount of plastic bags you use.

All of the 40 things listed can help the conservation of raptors and the world we share. How you ask? Saving energy leaves more resources for the future and cuts down on pollution. Conserving water is the same thing and we all need water. And, keeping the water clean (instead of cleaning it up) is something we all can get behind. Making space for wildlife by planting native plants creates habitat for many of the local wild neighbors---which also creates habitat for your local raptors. And learning about raptors and the world around us helps to make us critical thinkers. We need to ask good questions and the answers are not always simple. Help The Raptor Center soar for another 40 years. Better yet, help raptors soar toward a better future for them AND us by being thoughtful about your everyday choices.