Lights Out Asheville
The City of Asheville commits to a Lights Out initiative to help protect migratory birds!
Asheville’s Mayor and City Council made a huge commitment to protecting migratory birds by issuing a Bird Migration Awareness Proclamation and sponsoring a new Lights Out initiative. The program is designed to increase awareness of migratory bird collisions with buildings and to promote practices that help prevent bird mortalities.
As part of the Lights Out campaign, the city pledges to turn off unnecessary lighting during spring and fall migration, and encourages residents, business owners and building managers to do the same. Bright city lights can disorient migrating birds, often leading to fatal building collisions. These deaths are one of the leading causes for the loss of nearly 3 billion birds in North America since 1970.
Asheville Mayor Esther Manheimer announced the Proclamation and Lights Out initiative in a press release dated February 10, 2022.
Please take a moment to thank our city officials
for their commitment to protecting birds.
The Coalition for a Bird-Friendly Asheville
Blue Ridge Audubon and UNC Asheville Audubon formed the Coalition for a Bird-Friendly Asheville and partnered up with other community organizations. Together, the Coalition worked with city officials on the Lights Out initiative, taking a giant step towards making Asheville a bird-friendly city. The new program not only protects birds but it saves energy and reduces costs.
The Coalition is dedicated to bird conservation and helps homeowners, businesses, and building managers learn how to protect birds from building hazards caused by windows and exterior lighting. The Coalition is working to promote bird-safe building designs, reduce nighttime lighting and host educational programs. To learn more about bird-building collisions and how you can help, visit the Coalition for a Bird-Friendly Asheville’s website at birdsafeavl.org.
Mission
The Coalition for a Bird-friendly Asheville will advocate for the protection of birds through the implementation of measures that will support their safety, namely, bird-safe window treatments and a lights-out commitment during migration months. Through uniting community members and businesses, and by working with Asheville City Council, we will make Asheville a safer place for its avian residents and visitors.
Coalition Partners
-
Blue Ridge Audubon Chapter
-
UNCA Audubon
-
National Audubon Society
-
Audubon North Carolina
-
Wenoca Sierra Club
-
MountainTrue
-
Dark Skies Initiative
-
Asheville Greenworks
-
Asheville Astronomy Club
What YOU can do:
The Coalition for a Bird-Friendly Asheville’s website has lots of useful information, including toolkits and tips to get you started on making your hom and business more bird-friendly. We are looking for volunteers, so email us if you'd like to help! birdsafeavl@gmail.com
