For the last four years, American Bird Conservancy (ABC) and International Paper (IP), the world's largest pulp and paper company, have been partners in a forest sustainability project in the southeastern United States. Now, the partnership has been honored with a 2023 Leadership in Sustainability Award from the American Forest and Paper Association (AF&PA), an industry trade group. 

ABC and IP were given the award in November in the “Resilient U.S. Forests” category, which recognizes projects or programs that enhance the “diverse values of forests, such as water, carbon, biodiversity, recreation, and forest products.” A series of 2022 workshops across the Southeast did just that: ABC and IP educated a wide range of stakeholders – from IP employees to landowners – about the value of working forests for birds and how land managers can enhance bird habitat. ABC and IP also developed outreach materials, including a 12-page booklet about bird-friendly forests, and collaborated with South Carolina Educational Television on a film about Swallow-tailed Kites – one of the partnership's priority species. 

“We are thrilled that ABC's partnership with International Paper has been recognized by the American Forest and Paper Association,” said EJ Williams, Vice President of ABC's Southeast and Atlantic Coast Region. “Our partnership brings together the scale of IP's operations and the influence of their customers with ABC's expertise in bird conservation to ensure a sustainable future for forests and birds like the Swallow-tailed Kite that depend on those forested landscapes.”

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American Bird Conservancy (ABC) takes bold action to conserve wild birds and their habitats throughout the Americas. Inspired by the wonder of birds, we achieve lasting results for the bird species most in need while also benefiting human communities, biodiversity, and the planet's fragile climate. Our every action is underpinned by science, strengthened by partnerships, and rooted in the belief that diverse perspectives yield stronger results. Founded as a nonprofit organization in 1994, ABC remains committed to safeguarding birds for generations to come. Join us! Together, we can do more to ensure birds thrive.

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