YEAR OF THE ADVOCATE

By Phoenix Wheeler, Director of Advocacy

The 2024 Legislative Season Highlighted the Importance of Audubon’s Unique Strengths:

• Audubon’s avian research expertise informed our campaign within the State House, introducing legislators to the damaging impact of second generation anticoagulant rodenticides (SGARs) on raptor populations. This set up our bill banning this dangerous pesticide up for future success.

• Our long-standing advocacy partnerships were critical in having $13 million added for land and farm conservation into the Green Bond.

• Audubon members took quick action to support the Building Decarbonization Act to help meet carbon emission reduction goals, sending over 80 emails to legislators in a matter of hours. Legislators made note of Audubon’s contribution to this effort.

Since the legislative session wrapped in June, Audubon has been working to further engage our members and supporters with our advocacy efforts. At Raptor Weekend, every presenter on stage had a story to tell about the dangers of SGARs on the raptors they care for. We collected over 300 signed postcards that weekend from visitors, asking state lawmakers to support a ban on these deadly pesticides - and we will hand deliver those cards to the statehouse. Dozens of visitors also donated to support our advocacy efforts and our online petition to support a ban on SGARs brought in over 400 signatures in a matter of days.

Word has spread of our effective advocacy, and several youth-centered organizations have sought our guidance. Looking to build youth initiatives on climate awareness and action, they want to educate their communities on how change is possible when we organize effectively.

New advocacy recruits have signed up at community meetings and events that we’ve attended to support climate change action, a ban on SGARs, and promoting land conservation. I’m confident our growing movement will help pass critical legislation that might not have been possible otherwise. We head into the 2025 legislative session backed by the support of our growing team of advocates.

I hope you’ll join us.

Join Our Team

Support these issues and many others. Contact Phoenix Wheeler at pwheeler@asri.org

Director of Advocacy Phoenix Wheeler (second from left) speaks to guests at Raptor Weekend, encouraging them to participate in Audubon’s efforts to ban Second Generation Anticoagulant Rodenticides (SGARs.)