Dear Audubon Advocate,

Spring migration is underway and 2.1 billion birds are passing through the Gulf of Mexico on their way to their nesting grounds thousands of miles away in Canada, the Caribbean, and other far-off locations. Thirteen years ago, the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill killed thousands of Common Terns, Northern Gannets, and Audubon's Shearwaters as they attempted to make this same annual journey, and their populations are still at risk.

Please take action by sending a public comment in support of a proposed $26 million investment to help these migratory seabirds recover from the BP oil spill. It’s quick and easy to send a letter through our Action Center.

The Deepwater Horizon Trustee Council, a government body charged with restoring the Gulf’s ecosystem after the oil spill, has proposed a suite of seven projects to address the damage done to migratory seabirds. These birds fly long distances throughout the hemisphere, and to help them recover we must think outside of the Gulf region and even beyond the United States.

The proposed projects will restore nesting colonies for Common Terns in the Canadian province of Manitoba, Northern Gannets in eastern Canada, and Audubon’s Shearwaters and other seabirds in Puerto Rico, to name a few.

The Common Tern project in particular is a great example of the Trustees thinking beyond political boundaries to help impacted species recover from the oil spill¹. This project will support the work of Indigenous Guardians to conduct hands-on stewardship and monitoring of nesting Common Terns along the shorelines of Manitoba, Canada, with the ultimate goal of helping 2,000 pairs raise more baby birds that survive to fledge from their nests. More babies result in a stronger, healthier population overall that can recover from losses.

Please send your letter today to help seabird populations recover from the impacts of the oil spill. Encourage the Trustees to fund these projects and more like them in the future.