Where birds thrive, people prosper
A collaboration of over 30 local groups focused on protecting and improving our environment to reduce the precipitous decline of songbirds. Kerrville was certified in this Texas Audubon/Texas Parks and Wildlife initiative in November 2024. “Better for birds, better for people”, Partner organizations teach people about birds and how to improve their property for birds, promote native plants, and control invasive plants and animals and other threats to birds.
Since inception, Bird City Kerrville has received grant support from the Cailloux Foundation, Texas Ornithological Society, Bexar Audubon, Community Foundations of the Hill Country and the Southwest. In cooperation with the Kerrville Parks and Recreation Department, our members have led construction of a bird viewing blind in Kerrville Schreiner Park and begun a second one.
Bird City Menard
The interesting thing about Bird City Menard is that it was started by a local birder, Mark Wilson, who recognized the birding potential of Menard County. It has not been a Texas Master Naturalist or Audubon-driven pursuit. Our core team includes Mark Wilson – birder, Cherry Swindall – Menard Chamber of Commerce, Sarah Thigpen – Beautification of Menard, non-profit, Billy Kniffen – Texas Master Gardener and Rainwater Harvesting specialist, Linda Ray Myers – Texas Master Naturalist & Native Plant Society of Texas, and Wes Creech – Dark Sky advocate.
Chloe Crumley – Audubon Texas/ National Audubon Society with
Linda Ray Myers TMN, NPSOT
Our projects are greatly benefiting from community involvement and support. We have received generous donations from local businesses and other civic organizations, which helped us build a beautiful bird-viewing blind at the historic Presidio de San Saba. One side of this blind overlooks riparian habitat along the banks of the San Saba River, and the other side looks out over native grassland prairie. The Presidio de San Saba is also an outstanding Dark Sky viewing location and hosts our Star Parties. We are working with them on parking lot light management.
The The community is genuinely concerned for the welfare of native birds and the preservation and recovery of their habitat. We have momentum and are completing multiple Bird City application requirements ahead of our submission this September. Menard hopes to be certified in this year’s selection process. But certification is just the beginning – Bird City Menard is a movement, and we’ll keep building it, selected or not.
