(FORT COLLINS, Colo.) — NEWS: The Central Grasslands Roadmap community of organizations is embarking on an 8-week social media campaign called “Grasslands and You” that enlists the collective, coordinated voices of individuals and organizations to spread the word about the importance of grasslands and the benefits they provide. The announcement comes from Bird Conservancy of the Rockies, one of the Roadmap partners.
The Central Grasslands span hundreds of millions of acres across Sovereign Indigenous Nation Lands, Canada, the United States and Mexico, and are one of North America’s largest and most vital ecosystems. Grasslands support critical environmental functions including water supply, soil health and biodiversity, and are also essential for agriculture, food security and supporting rural communities.
For example, healthy grasslands filter sediment, nutrients, and bacteria that end up in waterways, threatening fish and drinking water. Grasslands improve air quality and help mitigate the effects of climate change by sequestering carbon and increasing resilience against drought, fire and wind erosion. Healthy grasslands also provide vital habitat for wildlife including grazing animals like bison and pronghorn as well as livestock.
“As grasslands disappear, so do many of the benefits they provide – and more than 50 million acres of grassland have been lost in the last 10 years,” said William Bevil, Communications Director – Bird Conservancy of the Rockies. “Many people are unaware of the benefits that grasslands provide or the implications of their declines and what it means to current and future generations.
A key engagement area for the Grasslands and You campaign is urban and suburban audiences, groups that are more likely to be geographically disconnected from grasslands and less aware of their personal relevance. The campaign features a collection of beautifully-designed graphics and accompanying messages, available in both Spanish and English, that were created to help inform and inspire connection and action. These materials are freely available for others to download and share on their personal and organizational social media feeds.
Organizations are invited to use Grasslands and You as an engagement tool to spread the word to their supporters, followers and fans to raise awareness about grasslands and learn more about what they are doing to support grassland conservation. Posts may include calls-to-action and provide ways for people to get involved-from volunteering, to making donations in support of conservation initiatives, and more.
Small, everyday actions can help, such as making grasslands-friendly consumer choices. Examples include buying bird-friendly meat from locally-owned, conservation-focused ranches and purchasing organically-grown produce to reduce the use of pesticides that can harm grassland pollinators.
Grasslands and You is the first of many outreach and engagement initiatives that the Central Grasslands Roadmap is pursuing in an effort to engage stakeholders far-and-wide. Roadmap partners are also leading important national policy and legislative initiatives, such as the North American Grasslands Conservation Act, which is anticipated to come before Congress for a vote in the near future.
Additional Information and Resources:
Grasslands and You campaign materials available at: https://www.grasslandsroadmap.org/grasslandsandyou
Grasslands and You Infographic (PDF):
https://www.birdconservancy.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/CGRS-Grasslands-You-Poster-12×18-MAR2022.pdf
The Central Grasslands Roadmap:
The Central Grasslands Roadmap aims to guide and inform innovative and connected conservation for the benefit of grassland birds, pollinators and mammals, as well as to ensure viable human communities across the landscape of one of North America’s most biogeographically unique areas. The Roadmap community includes a cross-section of leaders and experts that live and work in the Central Grasslands – including producers on working land, Sovereign First Nations and Indigenous Communities, federal, state and provincial agencies, foundations, industry, and nongovernmental organizations including; land trusts, conservation organizations, and academia. For more information: https://www.grasslandsroadmap.org/
About Bird Conservancy of the Rockies:
Bird Conservancy of the Rockies is one of 25 Roadmap planning committee member organizations. The Colorado-based nonprofit works to conserve birds and their habitats through an integrated approach of science, education and land stewardship. Their work extends from the Rockies to the Great Plains, Mexico and beyond. For more information: https://www.birdconservancy.org/
Related link: https://www.birdconservancy.org/
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