Audubon and Grassroots Carbon Announce First-of-its-Kind Partnership to Reward Landowners for Improving Habitats for Birds while Building Healthy Soils

SAN ANTONIO (June 18, 2024) – Audubon Conservation Ranching, a wildlife habitat program of the National Audubon Society, and Grassroots Carbon have created a new partnership to provide landowners with new income opportunities for implementing regenerative land management practices that improve bird habitats while building soil health through grassland restoration. 

Participating landowners can profit from additional soil carbon storage created through their regenerative land management practices. These practices restore grasslands, improve bird habits, build soil health and drive nature-based soil organic carbon drawdown through the healthy soils of farms and ranches. Built on a foundation of scientific rigor, quality, and transparency, Grassroots Carbon generates high-quality soil carbon drawdown credits for leading corporations to offset their carbon impact and reach their sustainability goals. Landowners partnering with Grassroots Carbon benefit from quantifying the additional soil organic carbon stored in healthy soils to establish a new revenue stream for their ranching operation. 

Additionally, regenerative land management practices improve habitats for birds. Participating landowners not only increase their profitability through soil organic carbon but also earn a premium for maintaining their Audubon bird-friendly land certification. The partnership with Grassroots Carbon will be available to all Audubon Certified bird-friendly ranches, which include over 100 ranches and encompass nearly 3 million acres.

“We are excited to partner with Audubon Conservation Ranching in this groundbreaking initiative,” said Brad Tipper, CEO of Grassroots Carbon. “By incentivizing regenerative land management practices, we are not only enhancing soil health and increasing carbon storage but also creating thriving habitats for grassland birds. This partnership exemplifies how sustainable practices can drive positive environmental change while providing tangible economic benefits for landowners. Together, we are making a significant impact on the health of our ecosystems and the future of our planet.”

Grassland restoration helps address the decline of grassland bird populations– the bird species group that has experienced the most rapid decline over the last half-century, due primarily to habitat loss. Rotational grazing, along with other regenerative land management practices, is central to creating the varied habitat these and other grassland bird species need. Rotational grazing is based on how bison historically roamed and is designed to create layers of short, mid, and tall grasses and flowers for a variety of bird species and other wildlife.

“Just like birds are an indicator of ecosystem health, the Audubon bird-friendly certification is an increasingly valuable regenerative indicator,” said Chris Wilson, Director of the Audubon Conservation Ranching program, “This collaboration will reward ranchers for their efforts in creating and maintaining healthy habitats, and incentivize new ranchers interested in building businesses based on biodiversity.”

With a shared commitment to grassland restoration and regenerative land management practices, Audubon and Grassroots Carbon are proud to introduce this partnership to support land stewards who are making a generational commitment to grassland restoration. 

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About Audubon Conservation Ranching

A wildlife habitat initiative of the National Audubon Society with a unique market connection, Audubon Conservation Ranching aims to stabilize declining grassland bird populations in partnership with ranchers – on whose land 95 percent of grassland birds live. Audubon Conservation Ranching’s enrollment includes over 100 ranches and nearly 3 million acres that have earned status as Audubon Certified bird-friendly land. Incentivizing this habitat work for birds and biodiversity are consumers with an appetite for conservation, who support it by purchasing products grazed on these lands. Shoppers see a special package designation – the Audubon Certified bird-friendly seal – that sets these products apart. For more information, visit www.audubon.org/ranching.

About Grassroots Carbon 

Based in San Antonio, Texas, Grassroots Carbon is the leading grasslands restoration and soil carbon storage company that empowers ranchers to implement regenerative land management practices. In addition to enhancing soil health, promoting biodiversity, and improving water quality, these regenerative practices have tremendous potential to combat climate change by drawing down large quantities of atmospheric carbon dioxide into the soil. Built on a foundation of scientific rigor, quality, and trust, Grassroots Carbon works with leading companies including Microsoft, Shopify, Shell, Marathon Oil and HEB to reduce their carbon impact and reach their sustainability goals. https://grassrootscarbon.com/ 

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Media Contact: Anthony Hauck, anthony.hauck@audubon.org