Published on September 22, 2022
Downtown Fort Worth’s high-rise buildings and Fort Worth’s Future City Hall have joined the mission to help save the lives of birds as they begin their fall migration through Texas. These actions support the Lights Out initiative, headed by the National Audubon Society.
The goal is to protect billions of birds as they migrate across the United States — one of the largest migrations on the planet and one that occurs primarily at night. Lights from buildings, especially in urban areas, attract and disorient migrating birds, confusing and exhausting them and making them vulnerable to collisions with buildings.
The City of Fort Worth is committed to protecting birds and to saving energy. Participating in this initiative is a great way do to both. The decorative lighting on Future City Hall, formerly the Pier 1 headquarters building, will be dimmed year-round during late-night hours, not just during peak bird migration.
Residents don’t have to live downtown to take part – everyone in the city can reduce light pollution at night for a few hours. Participate by turning off lights between now and Nov. 30 from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. Turning off lights dramatically reduces hazards and disorientation by light, allowing birds to safely proceed with their migratory journeys.
Bird lovers can also monitor how many migrants will be traveling through the area using the Birdcast website.
Learn more from the National Audubon Society.
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