The Audubon Society’s 2019 North American Grasslands and Birds Report details the loss of more than 60% of historical grasslands. This loss has led to degraded soils, dysfunctional watersheds, and loss of habitat for native wildlife. Grassland bird populations have subsequently seen a decline of more than 40% since the 1960s.
The Dixon Water Foundation’s mission is to promote healthy watersheds through good land management. We manage our land through regenerative cattle grazing practices that allow disturbed land to rest and recover, resulting in sustained nutrient cycles and ecosystem functionality. This creates benefits for our ranching efforts while creating better habitat for native wildlife and sequestering carbon in the soil.
Audubon “protects birds and the places they need, today and tomorrow, throughout the Americas using science, advocacy, education, and on-the-ground conservation”. Audubon has acknowledged the role that ranchers can play in saving grassland bird populations from further declines, which resulted in the creation of the Conservation Ranching program. Dixon Water Foundation is a partner in the Audubon’s Conservation Ranching program. The Foundation is happy to announce that we recently received Audubon’s Bird-Friendly Land seal, which certifies that cattle grazed on our land was grazed in bird-friendly habitat. Consumers can find more information on where they can purchase beef that was grazed in bird-friendly land here.
