Nature Canada bestows Bird Friendly designation on Uxbridge

Roger Varley, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, with files from Nancy Melcher

Uxbridge is going to the birds. In a deputation to council on Monday, Carly Davenport of Bird Friendly Uxbridge shared that Uxbridge was recently named one of 30 communities across Canada that have been certified as bird friendly.

Davenport said the certification recognizes work on threat reduction, habitat protection and community education.

She listed a number of actions residents can take to help Bird Friendly Uxbridge in its Lights Out campaign and advocating for a reduction of rodenticides in the environment. She noted Bird Friendly has partnered with the Bridge Social coffee shop to bring in bird friendly coffee (coffee that comes from farms that provide a forest-like habitat for birds), and had recently taken part in the Brook Never Sleeps program.

Nature Canada, which bestowed the certification, states, “Birds play an essential role in maintaining healthy and resilient ecosystems in our communities, and our planet, cities and towns present many hazards to birds. Nature Canada teams up with nature groups, municipal officials, and other community stakeholders to ensure our urban environments are safe havens for birds rather than a source of threats.”

Wild bird populations have declined dramatically, mostly from human activities. There are three billion fewer birds now than there were 50 years ago. Reduced habitat from urban lands and agricultural practices, predation by domestic cats, climate change, and collisions with automobiles and buildings are major causes of these steep declines.

Davenport says the township still has work to do. “Nature Canada will want Uxbridge to commit to its birds on an ongoing basis, and that’s our goal. Certification feels great, but seeing biodiversity thrive here would feel even better.”

Find Bird Friendly Uxbridge on Instagram, Facebook (@birdfriendlyuxbridge) or visit northdurhamnature.com