Our mission is to promote understanding and appreciation of the diversity and interdependence of Earth's natural ecosystems, focusing on their preservation, conservation, and restoration. Our aim is lifelong education of ourselves and the public to the wonder and intricacy of those systems and their active safeguarding.
BIODIVERSITY: THE RICH HERITAGE OF OUR BIOREGION
Maintaining biodiversity is a key to everything we stand for in Allegheny Plateau Audubon. Our varied environment offers abundant opportunities for observing the beauty and wonder of a splendid bioregion. Still, as threats from global warming, from pollution, from exploitation, from human environmental impacts of all sorts take their toll, we know that the variety of life in our surroundings is being degraded, both within and among species and in all groups of living things. Sadly those of us who are old enough and have been watching any group closely have actually seen diversity decrease within the short span of our lifetimes. Human impacts are so dramatic and rapid that they often outstrip the resiliency of nature. If the natural world is to have a fighting chance, humans who care about it must be vigilant in noting and counteracting the constant bombardment of negative pressures.
But we can’t protect that which we haven’t perceived to be in decline, and we can’t tell what we’ve lost if we don’t know what we have to start with. Therefore, all of us need to learn what’s out there and watch with educated eyes. That’s what this section of the web site is all about: sharing our collective knowledge and teaching each other how to look carefully. We’ll be posting and updating checklists for our region – in some cases, county by county – so we can chronicle and celebrate our area’s natural abundance and help each other watch for declines in things that were once more numerous or widespread.
We’ll also give some hints as to what field guides we’ve found are dependable to get you started or to confirm rarer finds, whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned naturalist. Of course, all the books in the world can’t substitute for actual observation in nature. Our chapter is blessed with experts on many different taxa, and they give generously of their time and knowledge throughout the year to provide programs, lead outings and sustain ongoing projects. Please join us in this educational effort, employ the tools provided here and develop a deeper enjoyment of the natural richness of our bioregion. Dennis McNair, President, Allegheny Plateau Audubon Society
The Allegheny Plateau Audubon Society hosts, sponsors and participates in a number of research activities and projects that explore, count and report the variety and number of wild life species in our area. These activities promote our understanding of the quality of our environment. Check out our Events Page for the times and places of these activities. If you want to join in, contact the leader of the event and check our home page for announcements and changes in plans. The results and data of these activities are presented as they become available.