Slippery Rock University
EN-10: Community Partnerships

The Bartramian Audubon Sanctuary ("BAS") Wildlife Sanctuary program was initiated years ago by an SRU alumnus, and SRU now has six certified BAS sanctuaries, four of which are on campus and total over 150 acres. Two additional sanctuaries exist off-campus, the Wolf Creek Miller Tract (42 acres) and the Old Stone House Forest parcels (74 acres). The on-campus sanctuaries can be viewed at www.sru.edu/sustainability by clicking on the "Campus Sustainability Features Map". The following is the agreement SRU has signed for each sanctuary: Agreement A BAS Wildlife Sanctuary agreement is simple, straightforward, and inexpensive. Property should be a minimum of 20 acres, biologically diverse, and/or possess unique natural qualities. The property is assessed by BAS free of charge. If found to be of sanctuary quality, then the property is nominated, accepted, and approved by the BAS Board of Directors and publicly announced as a Certified BAS Wildlife Sanctuary. Property ownership, deed, and title are retained by the property owner but a copy of the property plat or a detailed map of the sanctuary acreage is required with an initial $99 fee. Natural processes in each BAS Wildlife Sanctuary are expected to continue unabated in perpetuity by the sanctuary owner. Further, the property owner and the Bartramian Audubon Society expects that this agreement will continue for an indefinite number of years. Sanctuary acreage can be increased or decreased at any time by the property owner. However, BAS requests that it be informed in writing of any such change and will need an up to date plat or map of the revised sanctuary area from the property owner. Finally, sanctuary status can be dissolved by property owner or by BAS with suggested thirty (30) days advanced written notice. Program Benefits 1) A beautiful wooden sign identifying property as a 'Certified Audubon Society Wildlife Sanctuary.' 2) An official Bartramian Audubon Society 'Certificate of Recognition.'* 3) An official BAS sketch illustrating the chapter's flying Upland Sandpiper logo in lovely pen and ink by the artist Dr. Richard Eakin, a BAS member. 4) A one-year (June to June) Associate Membership in the BAS chapter that entitles property owner to participate in all chapter events and receive the chapter's official newsletter, the Upland Informer. Renewed $15.00 Associate Membership is required each June of the agreement before the end of June. 5) All benefits are awarded publicly in person at the chapter's Annual Audubon Awards Night (AAAN) on the 2nd Monday evening of May at Jennings Center. *The Certificate of Recognition includes the following words: "This property provides the four basic sanctuary elements needed by wildlife to survive: food, water, cover/shelter, and breeding sites. It has been certified by the Bartramian Audubon Society as an official wildlife sanctuary in which all natural processes will continue unabated by human actions and the land preserved in perpetuity."

RockRoast is a student-run non-profit coffee company that has partnered with certified shade tree coffee growers in Nicaragua and the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center to offer 100% organic, shade-grown coffee and bird-friendly certified coffee. All of RockRoast proceeds go back to the coffee farms for research, conservation, and education. By supporting Rock Roast you are supporting people, the planet, and plumage! The Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center has developed the only 100% organic and shade-grown coffee certification available: Bird Friendly. That's right—no other bag guarantees that every bean is produced organically and under high-quality shade. Our seal of approval ensures tropical "agroforests" are preserved and migratory birds find a healthy haven when they travel from your backyard to those faraway farms producing the beans you so enjoy every morning. Great for birds and for people. With widespread clear cutting for sun coffee plantations, it's imperative to protect the tropical forest that remains and rehabilitate degraded ecosystems. Every cup of Bird Friendly coffee you drink encourages more farmers to grow in the shade, which is good for birds and for people. First, the coffee is certified organic, which means managing a healthy soil base and applying no harmful pesticides to the coffee that could otherwise run off into streams and rivers. This helps reduce the billions of pounds of noxious chemicals injected annually into natural ecosystems that support wildlife and communities. But our program goes a step further, requiring a variety of native shade trees throughout the coffee plantation. Through decades of research, we've learned the combination of foliage cover, tree height and diversity needed to provide suitable migratory bird habitat while maintaining productive farms. Producers must be recertified every three years to ensure they continue to meet these requirements and can truly call themselves Bird Friendly. This results in better-tasting coffee—its rich flavor comes from beans maturing slowly in the shade. Farmers protect water sources for their communities and sequester carbon by managing the forest-like system, which also provides a host of other products like cacao and spices. And the premium prices they fetch for Bird Friendly coffee supports their families and local economies. Additional details about this transformative partnership may be found at: http://www.rockroast.org/about.html and: https://nationalzoo.si.edu/migratory-birds/bird-friendly-coffee