The World Migratory Bird Day Team is pleased to announce this year’s theme!

Migratory birds and people - together through time

Join us on 12^th-13^th May 2012 for World Migratory Bird Day

We invite everyone to join us to celebrate, protect and raise awareness for migratory birds this year on May 12th-13th. On the second weekend each May, people around the world take action and organize public events to celebrate World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD)  - such as bird watching trips, public discussions, exhibitions, presentations, bird rallies, bird festivals and other educational and public events. The Campaign has grown every year since its inception in 2006. Each year’s theme is unique to the issues threatening migratory birds. In 2011 over 200 events registered at www.worldmigratorybirdday.org, the most successful campaign yet.

World Migratory Bird Day 2012 - Celebrating People and Migratory Birds

World Migratory Bird Day 2012 and this year’s theme Migratory birds and people - together through time will stress the indispensible relationship between birds and people. When one starts to really think about the cultural, social, historic, economic and spiritual connections we have with birds, it becomes clear that birds and people are inseparably connected in many different ways and on many different levels.

Migratory birds can cross the entire globe during their journeys, ignoring national borders and connecting the world with their migration routes. Unfortunately, human activities including land use, hunting and pollution now gravely threaten world migratory bird populations. The phenomenon of bird migration is crucial to the web of life, as migrating birds act as indicators of changing seasons and climate change and provide essential ecological services to the ecosystems we rely on. We must protect and raise awareness about the threats migratory birds face. We must do this to ensure that our cultural ties to migratory birds and the economic and environmental needs sustained by migratory birds remain safe.

WMBD Website and Poster to be launched in February

Please keep watch for the launch of the 2012 World Migratory Bird Day Poster and Website in February.

On the Website, you will be able to read more about this year’s theme Migratory birds and people - together through time, view events in your area on the google event map, order posters, and register your events.

For information updates about this year’s 2012 World Migratory Bird Day and to view the WMBD Trailer on our information page, please visit us at:

www.worldmigratorybirdday.org

www.facebook.com/worldmigratorybirdday

www.twitter.com/worldmigratorybirdday

or contact us at:  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Further Information:

World Migratory Bird Day was initiated in 2006 and is an annual awareness-raising campaign highlighting the need for the protection of migratory birds and their habitats. World Migratory Bird Day is organized by the Secretariats of the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) and the African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbird Agreement (AEWA) – two international wildlife treaties administered by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) – and a growing number of partners.