Bird Collisions in the Anthropocene is a national nonprofit conservation and community art project based in Evanston, IL. We use art and public education to prevent bird building collisions—and we need your help!
We are crowd-sourcing the handcrafting of 10,863 birds, to match the number of birds found on the streets of Chicago in 2023 by the Chicago Bird Collision Monitors after they hit glass.
At our free public workshops, participants use upcycled cloth and donated materials to handcraft life-sized bird sculptures. Each artwork commemorates a real bird that lost its life after hitting glass — and connects each crafter with a bird species at risk of building collisions.
All of the artworks will be sewn together into a huge 300-foot-long “carpet” of birds that will travel the country as an educational art installation, raising awareness about the toll of building collisions on our bird populations. The full project will take 4 to 6 years, with a likely completion date of 2028.
About Us
Teaching the public about how to protect birds from building collisions at their home or business and at community spaces, like schools, libraries, and churches, is paramount to our project. Participants learn about different glass treatment options and the importance of turning off unnecessary nighttime lights for migrating birds. We also distribute free bird-friendly building products, like Feather Friendly window decals, so participants can immediately translate their crafting experience into real world change!
Most urbanized areas in the U.S. are located along the migratory paths of over 300 bird species. Glassy buildings and bright lights make them dangerous places for migrating birds. Of all cities, Chicago is considered one of the most dangerous in the country for migratory birds. In just one October morning, 966 migratory birds struck a glass building on Chicago’s lakefront and died. A year later, a retrofit of the glass on the building to make it visible to birds and turn off nighttime lights reduced collisions at the building by 95%.
This again proved, window treatments and bird-friendly building practices save birds!
Our Mission
We use art, education, and community engagement to raise awareness about the impact of building collisions on migratory birds and to inspire collective action for safer, more life-sustaining environments. Through creative workshops and public programming, we connect people of all ages to the lives of birds, the design of our cities, and the shared responsibility to protect the natural world.
Our Leadership
Holly Greenberg is the founder and director of Bird Collisions in the Anthropocene. She is a printmaker and painter and former associate professor of printmaking at Syracuse University. Focusing on a sustainable arts practice, her most recent work has incorporated harvested invasive plants, upcycled cloth and crowdsourced participation to raise awareness about environmental and conservation issues.
Email: birdcollisionsproject@gmail.com
Listen to Holly live on the Maria Mitchell Association podcast here.
Please explore our website to find out how you can become involved through volunteering, creating a bird, and making your windows safe for birds. We're always looking for great volunteers!
OUR PARTNERS
This project wouldn’t be possible without the tireless work of the volunteers at the Chicago Bird Collision Monitors and Dr. David Willard at The Field Museum. We are eternally grateful to our partners at the Chicago Bird Alliance (Audubon), Natural Habitat Evanston, FeatherFriendly and support from the College of Visual and Performing Arts at Syracuse University.
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