Idaho land trust engages local bird enthusiasts to protect Lewis’s Woodpecker

Through its collaboration and partnership with the Land Trust Alliance, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology is connecting with and supporting land trusts in their efforts to protect bird habitat on private lands and helping support land trust planning and stewardship efforts. We're happy to share their bird conservation success stories from land trust partners across the country.

[*Editor’s Note: This article follows the American Ornithological Society's recommendation that all bird names are capitalized to prevent confusion between taxonomic and descriptive words.]

The views, thoughts and opinions expressed in this blog are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Land Trust Alliance, its staff, its board of directors or any other individuals associated with the organization.

For Lovina Englund, executive director of Palouse Land Trust, bird conservation serves as a natural anchor point for broader conservation efforts. She has found there is considerable joy around the topic in the community, with many allies eager to support bird conservation initiatives. By thoughtfully framing the narrative around the challenges facing bird species, Palouse Land Trust has developed an effective way to channel people’s passion toward tangible land conservation work.

The land trust first experimented with this approach through a small grant project in 2022. Initially, Englund expected the project would be led by a “birdy” staff member, but when that person left the organization midway through the grant period, she turned to a different resource. Drawing on longtime Palouse Land Trust members who are also bird enthusiasts, she found the guidance and support needed to keep the project moving forward.

“Bird enthusiasts are among us everywhere,” Englund said.

With a focus on community engagement and outreach around a bird species in decline, Palouse Land Trust’s grant project included a targeted mailing to private landowners and an educational event. Through outreach about Lewis’s Woodpecker, the land trust sought to engage landowners in stewardship, restoration and preservation of critical habitat for the species.

The Lewis’s Woodpecker is listed as a Yellow Alert Tipping Point species, with an estimated global breeding population of 82,000 individuals. According to the 2023 state-level eBird summary for Idaho, about 20% of the total population of the species breeds in the state, making it a critical location for conservation of Lewis’s Woodpecker.

Aware of this conservation need, Palouse Land Trust set out to identify potential habitat for Lewis’s Woodpecker in its service range of Latah County, Idaho. Land trust staff created a GIS map with overlays of county parcel data and Lewis’s Woodpecker sightings submitted to eBird, ultimately targeting 927 private landowners with an educational mailing about the species.

The mailing included an invitation to a resource-round-up workshop hosted by Palouse Land Trust, which was attended by about 50 landowners, technical service providers and conservation partners. Partners included Idaho FireWise, Idaho Native Plant Society, and the Latah Soil and Water Conservation District, and the event helped connect landowners with on-the-ground conservation expertise and funding opportunities.

The land trust also partnered with the Palouse Chapter of the Audubon Society to host a hands-on birding event at the Olson Family Conservation Preserve, a private property protected by the land trust. This event focused on identifying local bird species, including Lewis’s Woodpecker, and introduced participants to local land conservation efforts and the importance of wildlife habitat protection.

Making the connection

Englund noted that it’s often difficult to quantify the impacts of projects like this, but the land trust continues to receive inquiries from landowners who received the targeted mailing.

The concrete results are compelling: five to seven landowners from the original mailing are now actively pursuing land conservation projects with Palouse Land Trust. This has led to a significant shift in the organization’s approach to land protection.

“Before this small grant project, we were waiting for landowners to come to us,” said Englund.

Following their initial success with targeted outreach, Palouse Land Trust has adopted a much more proactive strategy for land protection.

Relying on maps and data from sources such as The Nature Conservancy and Heart of the Rockies, the organization is now using multiple lenses and filters to identify and prioritize land protection projects.

Seeking to balance public accessibility with the protection of intact natural systems, the land trust has developed a strategic focus on preserving parcels where there are layered conservation benefits for people and wildlife.

Advice to other land trusts

“I don’t think you need to have a bird enthusiast on staff to take on a similar project,” said Englund.

While she personally identifies as more of a plant person, Englund says that this small grant project was a growth moment, helping her build confidence to take on more bird conservation work.

By embracing the opportunity to complete a project outside of her comfort zone, Englund discovered the support available from the local birding community. This foray into bird conservation opened Englund’s eyes to the power of leveraging partnerships and the possibilities for using eBird data to advance her organization’s mission.

“We’re seeing durable effects on the ground from our small grant project,” said Englund.

In addition to several new land protection projects in the pipeline, the land trust has continued to develop its relationship with the Palouse Audubon Society, establishing a regular rhythm for their collaborative birding events.

Additionally, Palouse Land Trust is creating a trail docent program, building eBird lists for the land trust’s preserves, and focusing on building new relationships with community members.

“One of the best outreach tools we have is neighbors talking to neighbors,” said Englund.