About Us

Mission

Mt. Diablo Bird Alliance (formerly Mt. Diablo Audubon Society) is committed to the sustainable balance of our community’s people, birds, other wildlife, and habitat through conservation, education, and advocacy.

We:

• Ensure a high degree of habitat diversity and preservation through an active role in local environmental activities and issues.
• Observe, collect, and report information concerning the status of birds, other wildlife, and habitat.
• Support community organizations with similar goals.
• Sponsor educational activities to promote environmental knowledge with a special focus on youth.
• Enhance public appreciation of the natural world with an emphasis on birds.
• Remain affiliated with the National Audubon Society in celebrating and protecting of birds.

Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging

Mt. Diablo Bird Alliance’s Commitment to Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging:

Mt. Diablo Bird Alliance is committed to the diversity of our community and the natural world. To this end, we cultivate and promote an environment that is inclusive, supportive and welcoming to all. We recognize that it is only through this commitment can we work to fulfill our mission of protecting birds and preserving their habitat while connecting people of all ages and backgrounds to them.

We intentionally choose to integrate Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging as a core value, priority, and guiding principle. Our aims are to create a welcoming, safe, and accessible birding and learning environment specifically for people of color, members of the LGBTQ+ community, Native peoples, and those who are underserved.

We believe birding is for everyone. Below are programs and resources that foster EDIB and are supported by MDBA. To get involved, please contact or join the MDBA EDIB Committee (see below).

MDBA EDIB Programs

EDIB Committee
The Mt. Diablo Bird Alliance’s Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging Committee was formed in 2022 after members of the MDBA board (Vice President and Program Chair Ariana Rickard, Conservation Chair Juan Pablo Galvan, and  (Ex) Education Chair Krista Vossekuil) participated in training offered by the National Audubon Society from June 2021 to January 2022. The Committee now includes five additional MDBA members. If you are interested in learning more or joining, or if you have ideas or stories please contact us. We would love to hear from you. The Committee is currently defining direction and goals.

Young Birders Club
The purpose of the Mt. Diablo Bird Alliance Young Birders Club is to give young people about 9-17 years old who like birds and the outdoors a chance to meet others their age with similar interests, while getting outside and, of course, seeing birds! We want participants to learn about birds and their habitats, come away with an appreciation of nature, develop birding skills, and most importantly, have fun! By doing that, we can get young birders thinking about how birding can contribute to science, protect birds and their habitats, and even be the start of a future career! Visit the Young Birders Club page for more information.

EDIB Resources

Through education, outreach and advocacy, Birdability works to ensure the birding community and the outdoors are welcoming, inclusive, safe and accessible for everybody. We focus on people with mobility challenges, blindness or low vision, chronic illness, intellectual or developmental disabilities, mental illness, and those who are neurodivergent, deaf or hard of hearing or who have other health concerns. In addition to current birders, we strive to introduce birding to people with disabilities and other health concerns who are not yet birders so they too can experience the joys of birding.

Chapter EDI How-To Guide — Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
A guide from the National Audubon Society for incorporating equity, diversity, and inclusion into chapter partnerships, programs, and culture. This How-To Guide was developed with chapters, for chapters in partnership with Deeohn Ferris, Devon Trotter, and an outside consultant — Jumana Vasi.

The Feminist Bird Club was founded by Molly Adams in 2016 as a way to leverage both their passion for birds and their passion for social justice into a cohesive whole. Since then, the Feminist Bird Club has expanded to chapters across North America and in the Netherlands.

The birds Audubon pledges to protect differ in color, size, behavior, geographical preference, and countless other ways. By honoring and celebrating the equally remarkable diversity of the human species, Audubon will bring new creativity, effectiveness and leadership to our work throughout the hemisphere.

Leadership

Board of Directors

Click on names below to email.

Advisory Positions

Board Meetings

MDBA Board Meetings are held the 2nd Thursday of every month, at 6:45 PM via web-meeting. Members are welcome to sit in. Please contact a Board member to obtain meeting credentials.

Volunteer Openings

MDBA has the following positions available for anyone with an interest in supporting our mission of Connecting People with Birds.

Education Chair shall organize educational activities, such as birding classes and outreach to schools and the community, to promote birds, ecology and conservation.

Outreach Coordinator is responsible for coordinating volunteers to staff MDBA booths and tables, etc at local festivals and other public events at which MDBA has a presence. This can be an Advisory or a Board position.

Hospitality Chair duties include setting up refreshments at our general membership meetings (approximately 6/year), preparing coffee, punch, setting out utensils, etc. Supplies can either be stored at your place or at the MDBA storage facility in Walnut Creek. This is an advisory position (no voting rights).

If you or someone you know is interested in any of these positions, please send an email to MDBA President Jerry Britten at .