Me holding the Jan/Feb 2025 issue of BWD which included the story I wrote about Smithsonian certified Bird Friendly chocolate. Read that story here!
Can your love for some sweet things in life (and a cup of coffee) contribute to bird conservation in the Americas?
The short answer is YES, thanks to to the Smithsonian Bird Friendly eco-certification for coffee and cocoa, and Audubon’s Produced in Bird Friendly Habitats Program for maple syrup.
The long answer is even more substantive and fascinating, and I hope you will join me as I present on this topic at the Puget Sound Bird Fest on Saturday, June 6 at 11:30 in Edmonds, WA!
Come hear how the chocolate bar you savor, the coffee beans you grind, or the maple syrup you pour over your pancakes have a direct impact on forest habitats on which our beloved migratory (and plenty of resident) birds depend.
An added benefit of attending in person is partaking of the samples I bring of Smithsonian certified Bird Friendly chocolate from Seahorse and Raaka, and Audubon Produced in Bird Friendly Habitats maple syrup from Couching Lion Maple.
And let’s hear it for the above three companies for sponsoring the Puget Sound Bird Fest, too! Raaka is offering a limited-time discount code for your first chocolate order: PSBF26. Couching Lion is offering a 10 percent discount on your first order of their maple products: FORTHEBIRDS10 (all caps).
Do you sense momentum building for consumer action for bird conservation? Making your buying habits count for more than you thought possible? Instant gratification AND bird conservation? Win win!
Labels to familiarize yourself with, and examples of the representative products you get to enjoy: coffee, maple syrup, and chocolate.
When three such essential commodities—coffee, cocoa and sugar—maple sugar—can be grown concurrently within productive habitat for birds (where birds can breed and raise young in the summer, and forage and thrive in the winter), I make it my goal to tell you about these commodities, show you where to find them, and urge you to BUY them.
If you can’t make it to the lecture in June (or you can’t wait to shop!), visit the Where to Buy Bird Friendly page on my site to source coffee, chocolate or maple syrup.
If you want a deep dive into the story behind Bird Friendly chocolate, read the article I wrote about it for BWD last year. If you want to listen to the same information about Bird Friendly Chocolate, tune in to The American Birding Podcast, Your Bird Story or Birding for Joy.
I have more speaking events on the horizon both in person and remote. Keep an eye on my Events page to find out where I am speaking next. And I hope to see you in June at the Puget Sound Bird Fest!
I am not paid to share these resources and there are no affiliate links. I share these resources because I care about birds and use these products myself.