Modified: January 28, 2010
The mission of the Alaska Bird Observatory is to advance the appreciation, understanding, and conservation of birds and their habitats through research and education.
STRATEGIC PLAN 2006-2010
MISSION
The Alaska Bird Observatory advances the appreciation, understanding, and conservation of birds and their habitats through research and education.
VISION
The Alaska Bird Observatory will be a leading and respected nonprofit research and education organization dedicated to the understanding and conservation of birds and their habitats.
CORE VALUES
The Alaska Bird Observatory:
Is based on our passion for birds and the conservation of their populations and habitats.
Believes our work should be science based, objective, nonpolitical, and ethical.
Strives to conduct proactive, long-term research that will make substantial contributions to avian conservation.
Educates and informs people with reliable data, analyses, and information so that they are inspired to protect birds and make responsible stewardship decisions.
Believes the strength of our work lies in our diverse membership, and our numerous community and regional partnerships.
STRATEGIC INTENTS
A strategic intent identifies a major direction for organizational efforts. Goals serve as a target for measuring success.
First Strategic Intent: Serve a constructive role in regional, national, and international bird and habitat conservation initiatives.
Goals:
- Continue active participation in Boreal Partners in Flight and the North American Bird Conservation Initiative.
- Continue to take a lead role in developing collaborative ecological studies for priority species identified by Boreal Partners in Flight.
- Develop an all-bird conservation plan for the Northwestern Boreal Forest conservation region of North America cooperatively with partners in Alaska and Canada.
- Engage in other collaborative conservation programs that help us meet our mission.
Second Strategic Intent: Sustain a variety of education programs and outreach that build awareness of and enthusiasm for birds, their habitats, and their conservation.
Goals:
- Maintain our proven successful programs and activities, including the Alaska Bird Camp, bird-banding presentations, International Migratory Bird Day, research seminars, citizen science programs, open houses, family programs, Denali Birding Seminar, the Arctic Warbler newsletter, newspaper articles, requested presentations, natural history walks, and bird-feeding workshops.
- Increase long-term involvement of youth in ABO programs to nurture and expand their interest in birding, ornithology, and conservation.
- Increase ABO’s involvement with high school-age and home-schooled youth.
- Offer more education programs for adults, including Elderhostel and workshops for college credit.
- Strengthen ABO’s relationships with the Fairbanks school district.
- Offer more education programs and outreach beyond Fairbanks.
- Continually enhance our outreach to ABO members and the public, including the Native community.
- Evaluate our web site and develop a transition plan for web site maintenance.
Third Strategic Intent: Continue to maintain a leadership role for monitoring of and research on Alaska’s landbirds.
Goals:
- Develop and maintain research projects, monitoring programs, and collaborative efforts that support our mission, address knowledge gaps, increase our understanding of bird ecology, and emphasize conservation.
- Ensure that our long-term monitoring programs are adequately funded, meeting our objectives, operating at the highest standards, and contributing to conservation of Alaska’s landbirds.
- Continue to offer opportunities for students, volunteers, and citizen scientists to participate in ABO research and monitoring projects.
- Continue to make our monitoring and research results available to ABO’s members, the public, decision makers, and other professionals through a wide variety of venues.
- Obtain funding to support on-going projects and program growth.
Fourth Strategic Intent: Develop ABO’s capacity to achieve its vision and mission.
Goals:
- Develop a funding plan to increase revenues and expand our financial base.
- Ensure that ABO’s facilities, equipment, and technology meet our needs.
- Evaluate human resources needs and develop a staffing plan.
- Complete organizational policies and procedures manual.
- Develop competitive wage scales and employee benefits programs in order to attract and retain quality staff.
- Broaden the structure of our Board of Directors to reflect our Alaska-wide commitment.
- Support on-going training and continuing education for staff and board members.
- Maximize our use of community resources, including volunteers, UAF students, service groups, and citizen scientists.
- Establish and maintain annual budgets with a surplus to help build up ABO’s reserve fund.
- Develop an endowment fund.
NEXT STEPS
ABO will develop annual work plans to specify particular objectives and actions to be taken in accordance to the goals laid out in this strategic plan. While the strategic intents will remain in place for a number of years, the objectives will be reviewed and updated annually. Priorities for actions will be determined in light of recent accomplishments and opportunities to achieve specific objectives.
