Audubon Texas presents Bird City program to Farmers Branch parks board

Chloe Crumley, engagement manager for Audubon Texas, presented the Bird City Texas community designation to the Farmers Branch Parks Board and said the program is intended to increase habitat for birds, reduce threats, engage residents and promote sustainability. “Bird City is a community designation, and the goal of that is really to increase habitat, reduce threats to birds, engage our community, and promote sustainability,” Crumley said.

Crumley told the board the program is substantial rather than ceremonial: communities must document completion of 19 actions — 10 of which are required — before applying. Applications are reviewed on Sept. 1, and successful communities recertify every three years with an annual update. Crumley said Audubon Texas and Texas Parks and Wildlife co‑facilitate the program and provide guidance and publicity to participating cities.

The presentation highlighted examples from Cedar Hill and Bastrop, where Bird City recognition was used to promote native plantings, bird‑friendly building features and festivals that drew visitors. Crumley said that cities can lower staff burden by recruiting partners — chambers, nonprofits, master naturalists and volunteers — to carry out and document many actions.

Board members asked about local capacity and staff workload. A resident who said she lives in the Mercer Crossing neighborhood noted existing local programs and offered volunteer support for bird walks and library education. Staff and board members agreed to review the Bird City action list and consider a subcommittee or collaborators to map current activities to the application requirements.

Next steps: the board asked staff to circulate the Bird City action list, confirm which requirements Farmers Branch already meets, and return with a recommendation if the board wishes to pursue certification.