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Purple Martins migrating at night. Photo: Keith Kingdon/Audubon Photography Awards

Dear Friend,

We want to tell you about something we're proud of this year.

Northern Virginia Bird Alliance spent a lot of time in 2025 working on an issue that doesn't get much attention: light pollution. Every year, millions of birds die from building collisions—many of them disoriented by artificial light during migration. It's preventable, which makes it all the more frustrating. So we showed up. We talked to local officials, sent volunteers to monitor for stunned birds, made the case for bird-safe lighting policies, and kept pushing for changes that could save a lot of birds.

Not the most glamorous work, but it's the kind of thing that actually moves the needle.

Now we're looking ahead to 2026, and we want to begin taking on something bigger: data centers. Northern Virginia has the largest concentration of data centers in the world, and they're growing fast. That means more energy use, uses lots of water, puts more pressure on land, and has real consequences for bird habitat. We think birds deserve a seat at that table—and we're planning to be there.

Advocacy is slow. It takes research, it takes relationships, and honestly, it takes showing up to a lot of meetings. But it's how things change.

If you can make a year-end gift, here's what it helps us do:
* $100 supports the research behind our policy work
* $250 helps us create materials that educate decision-makers
* $500 supports our spring advocacy campaigns

Thanks for being in this with us.

Amanda
Executive Director, Northern Virginia Bird Alliance

PS - want to jump in on our advocacy efforts this year? Join our virtual comment writing party ([link removed]) on Friday at noon!

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