Great Egret. Andrew McCullough/探花精选 Photography Awards
Membership Great Egret Society

Join the Great Egret Society

A circle of supporters creating a brighter future for birds.

Protect Birds and the Places They Need

Your generosity helps preserve habitats, combat climate change, and ensure a future for the birds we love. Join today and protect birds and the places they need 鈥 with a gift of $500 or more annually.

The Great Egret Society is named for the bird whose protection inspired 探花精选鈥檚 founding more than a century ago. Today, Society members carry that legacy forward as bold leaders in conservation.

鈥淲hen I think of birds, advocacy for birds, and bird conservation, the only organization that ever comes to mind is 探花精选.鈥
Richard G., Minnesota

By making an annual gift of $500 or more, you join a circle of supporters driving urgent action to safeguard habitats, confront climate change, and protect species at risk.

Since 1970, North America has lost three billion birds, and two-thirds of species now face dire risk from climate change. In this critical moment, Great Egret Society members provide the unwavering support birds need to survive and thrive.

Member Benefits

As a Great Egret Society member, you enjoy all the benefits of 探花精选 membership 鈥 plus exclusive perks designed to connect you more deeply with our work.

探花精选 membership benefits:

  • A full year of 探花精选 magazine, our award-winning magazine, which helps grow your appreciation for birds and shows you how to help them thrive
  • A full color 探花精选 calendar featuring stunning bird photography
  • The opportunity to deepen your connection with birds and nature through over 50 探花精选 centers and sanctuaries
  • Membership in your local 探花精选 chapter
"Thank you for creating this community of people who spread joy, peace, and love year-round."
Nancy B., Springfield, Massachusetts

Plus, additional Great Egret Society benefits:

  • Insider updates from 探花精选 leadership
  • Invitations to special events and programs
  • Participation in our Donor Insight Panel
  • Access to our digital library of exclusive content
  • Great Egret Society lapel pin and certificate
  • Opportunities to take direct action for birds

The best benefit of all is the knowledge that you are personally advancing our mission to protect birds and the places they need today and tomorrow.

 

How To Join

Choose the giving option that works for you:

  • Make an online or more.
  • Make an online or more.

Or, mail your check or donor advised fund gift to the address below, and in the memo field state "For the Great Egret Society" to:

探花精选
ATTN: Marc Scollo
225 Varick Street, 7th Floor
New York, NY 10014

Thank you for helping us bring birds back.

Your Impact

Across the hemisphere, the personal generosity of Great Egret Society members is creating better todays and brighter futures for birds and the places they depend on.

This is a pivotal moment鈥攆or our planet and for 探花精选鈥攁nd your support and leadership are helping to shape what comes next.

With you by our side, and guided by Flight Plan, our strategic vision for the future, we are advancing science-based solutions that protect birds, support communities, and safeguard the natural world we all share.

You are part of the reason we face the future with hope 鈥 and with a plan.

Here are just a few of the powerful victories you鈥檝e helped make possible:

  • Safeguarding Bird Habitat: Tens of thousands of acres protected across priority flyways, wetlands, and coastal regions vital to migration and nesting. In fact, we recently secured official recognition of 探花精选鈥檚 work in Chile, a move that will expand critical conservation projects along the country鈥檚 4,000-mile coastline that supports an estimated 500 bird species, including the Lesser Yellowlegs.
  • Policy and Advocacy Leadership: Our grassroots supporters regularly take action to support birds and the places they need. For example, when a proposal threatened to trade away a vital portion of Florida鈥檚 Guana River Wildlife Management Area for development, we mobilized immediately. More than 50,000 supporters spoke out to protect this irreplaceable habitat鈥攕ubmitting petitions, raising awareness, and standing up for birds and other wildlife. Thanks to this incredible grassroots response, 600 acres of conservation land were saved.
  • Climate Resilience in Action: Expanding native grasslands and reforesting key landscapes to help birds and communities adapt to a changing climate. 探花精选 recently received $2 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture鈥檚 (USDA) Forest Service to support the Bird-Friendly Maple program. Through this program, maple producers in the United States commit to sustainable forest management practices that support bird conservation.

Watch our latest impact video below to see how your generosity is helping birds thrive鈥攏ow and for future generations.

Explore our latest Annual Report, where you鈥檒l find inspiring stories, conservation highlights, and transparent reporting on the transformative work your support makes possible for the birds you love:

Discover 探花精选 Conservation Action Centers and Sanctuaries

A gift to the 探花精选 supports the birds you love throughout their full life cycles, from your local 探花精选 center and community, to the boreal forests of Alaska and Canada, to the tropics and coasts of South America.

We invite you to connect with fellow bird and nature lovers through one of our 450+ local chapters, 50+ 探花精选 centers and sanctuaries. We're confident there is an experience waiting for you - whether it's spotting a new bird species, exploring migration hotspots, attending an event, or witnessing an awe-inspiring spectacle like the Sandhill Crane migration.

Visit to plan your next outing in-person, or online and learn more about the places and birds you help protect. Come soar with us!

探花精选 Near You
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探花精选's Legacy of Action

For more than a century, 探花精选 members and advocates have stood at the heart of landmark victories for birds and the environment. From the bold stand of two women in 1896 to today鈥檚 urgent climate action, this legacy of protection and progress continues鈥攖hanks to the support of people like you.

1896
Outraged over the slaughter of millions of water birds for the millinery trade, Harriet Hemenway and Minna B. Hall convince Boston society ladies to eschew hats with bird feathers. These meetings culminate in the founding of the Massachusetts 探花精选 Society.

1900
 Christmas Bird Count launched, the world鈥檚 longest-running wildlife census.

1918
 Migratory Bird Treaty Act passes, protecting millions of birds.

1923
探花精选 establishes its first sanctuaries, pioneering land protection.

1972
探花精选 helps ban DDT, saving Bald Eagles and Peregrine Falcons.

2000
探花精选 helps secure a $7.8 billion Everglades restoration plan.

2014
探花精选鈥檚 Climate Report warns that two-thirds of North American birds are at risk.

2020
 探花精选 wins a legal battle to restore Migratory Bird Treaty Act protections.

Today

Your support continues this legacy, protecting birds and the places they need. 

Join 探花精选鈥檚 Action Network to learn more and receive updates on actions you can take. Your voice carries weight in conveying concerns about issues impacting birds, wildlife, and their habitats.

Ways to Deepen Your Impact

Want to do even more for birds? Consider:

  • 鈥 make a gift via your or talk to your financial advisor.
  • Canopy Membership ($10,000+ annually) 鈥 For exclusive conservation experiences and behind-the-scenes, insider updates.
  • 鈥 Leave a lasting impact for future generations.
  • Employer Matching Gifts 鈥 Maximize your giving potential.

Stories from Our Community

Great Egret Society members across the country find joy and community in supporting 探花精选鈥檚 efforts to protect the birds they love and the places they need. Here are just a few recent experiences shared by members of the flock. 

鈥溙交ň gives hope to the birds and bird lovers in times when habitat destruction and species extinction seem to be accelerating.鈥  - Kathleen H., WA

鈥淚 always recommend and encourage people to get involved with 探花精选. I have always believed that birds are such a great way for people to connect with each other and give back to the natural world.鈥 - Kelley L., SC

鈥淭onight, when I sit in my backyard and delight in the chickadees, towhees, sparrows, cardinals, thrashers, blue jays, titmice, nuthatches, and doves I see, I will think of you all and lift up my gratitude for your dedication to and love of our feathered friends worldwide!鈥 - Laura W., NC

We love talking birds! Share your stories or pictures with us by emailing greategretsociety@audubon.org. We would love to hear from you.