Saving Birds is Sustainability

Our mission is to protect birds as part of sustainable design standards by raising awareness of bird-building collisions and offering practical, effective design solutions. Founded in Spring 2022 at the University of Washington in Seattle, Bird Friendly Campus approached the study of bird-building collisions through the lenses of sustainable architecture, landscape ecology, conservation, and public health. Using data collected from daily monitoring of 28 campus buildings, the project PI, Judy Bowes, has produced UW’s Bird-Friendly Design Standards as part of UW’s Green Building Design initiative, which includes bird-safe products and designs for new campus projects. For existing buildings, retrofits using bird-safe vinyl patterns are being applied across campus to protect birds and measure the effectiveness of the products. Additionally, the project has supported over 150 students through roles ranging from lead research and design positions to entry-level volunteer field opportunities. The project's future includes further analyzing our large dataset and making our findings accessible to the public through publications, guides, and web resources. If you’re looking to report a collision or start your own monitoring project, download our app, Avian Impact, by tapping “Report Collisions” above.