Award Winning Bird Photos | Songbird Epidemic | Coastal Restoration

In this issue: Latino Conservation Week, Protect Lesser Prairie-Chickens, and Share the Shore Merch | Trouble viewing this e-mail? Try our [web version](. [National Audubon Society]( Newsletter | July 2021 [Audubon 2021 Photo Awards Top 100.]( [The Results Are In! See the 2021 Audubon Photography Award Winners and Top 100]( Our 12th annual Audubon Photography Awards had more than 9,000 submissions from 2,400 photographers across the United States and Canada. The [eight winners and five honorable mentions]( in this year’s photo contest, which includes a new Video category and Female Bird Prize, captured birds in breathtaking scenes and displaying fascinating behaviors. Be prepared to be enchanted with the beauty and variety of birdlife of the top 100 submissions. Use a screen reader? We added vibrant alternative text to make the winning images more accessible than ever. [Take a look]( Clockwise from top left: American Woodcock; Harlequin Ducks; Northern Mockingbird; Anhinga; Double-crested Cormorants; Golden-fronted Woodpecker. [A young Blue Jay admitted to the Blue Ridge Wildlife Center in Virginia with an unknown illness.]( [Search Continues for the Cause of the East's Songbird Epidemic]( For months, a mysterious bird disease has been rippling across parts of the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern United States. By June, the disease had spread to Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, Washington, D.C., Delaware, New Jersey, Ohio, Tennessee, Florida, Indiana, and Pennsylvania. With such a broad spectrum of bacteria, fungi, toxins, and viruses to test for, it may be a while before researchers have a definitive answer. In a new report, experts ruled out a range of causes but still recommend taking down feeders in affected areas until the source of the disease is identified. [Read more]( A young Blue Jay admitted to the Blue Ridge Wildlife Center in Virginia with an unknown illness. [Mapping Migraciones logo.]( [Celebrate Latino Conservation Week!]( Join Audubon California, Latino Outdoors, and Hispanic Access Foundation as we celebrate Latino Conservation Week! Throughout Turtle Island and Abya Yala, Indigenous Peoples have been and continue to be in reciprocal and respectful relationships with the lands, waters, plants, animals, and people through whose territories they pass. This Thursday, July 22, tune into a conversation with members of the Indigenous community in Los Angeles about the ties between displacement and migration and strengthening the connection between people and nature. [Register today]( Audubon in Action [The planned site of the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion.]( [Ambitious Project Aims to Rebuild Louisiana's Vanishing Coastal Wetlands]( One of the biggest coastal restoration projects in history will help to rebuild vanishing habitats. These coastal Louisiana wetlands support nearly three-quarters of the country’s Sandwich Tern population and more than half of the world’s Seaside Sparrows. At the same time, the project would provide a buffer from flooding and hurricanes, potentially shaving a foot off of storm surges near New Orleans within 50 years. [Read more]( The planned site of the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion. [Lesser Prairie-Chicken.]( [Help Protect Lesser Prairie-Chickens from Extinction]( Lesser Prairie-Chicken populations have declined by approximately 90 percent, making it one of the bird species most vulnerable to extinction in North America. In a long-overdue decision, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing to add this species to the Endangered Species List. Please act today by sending comments to the USFWS in support of this proposal. The deadline to send comments is August 2. [Take action]( Lesser Prairie-Chicken. Support Audubon [Audubon's limited edition Share the Shore beach towel.]( [Pack Your Beach Bags & Share The Shore]( Beachgoers often get too close to nesting coastal birds, exposing chicks and eggs to being crushed underfoot, overheating in the sun, or succumbing to predators. You can help by simply giving coastal birds the space they need to nest, rest, and digest. Inspire others to #SharetheShore with our new beach towel, weekender bag, tank tops, and more—available [for a limited time only!]( Audubon's limited-edition Share the Shore beach towel. Photos clockwise from top left: Alexander Eisengart; Matthew Reitinger; Katrina Baker; Eric Schertler; Blake Bryant; Danny Hancock. All Audubon Photography Awards. Graphic: Alex Tomlinson/Audubon. Photos from top: Courtesy of Blue Ridge Wildlife Center; Ben Depp; Doug Kliewer/Audubon Photography Awards Did you receive this message from a friend? [Sign up for the Audubon Newsletter here→]( CONNECT WITH US [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( [LinkedIn]( [YouTube]( [DONATE]( [ADVOCATE]( [GET TEXT UPDATES]( National Audubon Society 225 Varick Street, New York, NY 10014 USA [(844) 428-3826](#) | [audubon.org]( © 2021 National Audubon Society, Inc. [Update your email address or unsubscribe](