News and Announcements

Road to Recovery (R2R) is excited to announce grants to 11 species working groups. R2R offered tiers of grants over the next 1-3 years to align support with working group capacity and stage of progress toward Tipping Point species recovery. 

The first tier of grants supports early-stage species working groups as they build the partnerships, leadership structures, and shared vision needed for long-term conservation success. The second tier helps established working groups strengthen coordination, fill critical knowledge gaps, and advance strategic recovery planning. The third tier supports working groups as they move beyond the planning and research phases towards implementation of conservation action. 

The 11 grants cover 14 Tipping Point species: Mountain Plover, Hudsonian Whimbrel, Hudsonian Godwit, Lesser Yellowlegs, Semipalmated Sandpiper, Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Sprague’s Pipit, Yellow-billed Magpie, Eastern Towhee, Bachman’s Sparrow, Henslow’s Sparrow, Baird’s Sparrow, Chestnut-collared Longspur, and Thick-billed Longspur.

“We are excited to see so many groups adopt the R2R recovery framework, whether they are building the foundation for inclusive partnerships, incorporating social science, or moving into conservation action for Tipping Point species,” said Amy Gambrill, Executive Director of Road to Recovery. “This targeted support will help working groups make meaningful recovery progress.”

Funding is made possible by the Knobloch Family Foundation (KFF). R2R received more than 80 submissions of interest, making it a very competitive process. A generous gift allowed R2R to expand support from eight working groups to 11. R2R will open the process for grants again later in 2026.

The grants come at a critical time for bird conservation. North America has lost nearly 3 billion birds since 1970, and many species continue to rapidly decline. R2R is an independent initiative focused on 112 Tipping Point species––birds experiencing steep losses that require focused action to recover––across North America. R2R works with species working groups to integrate biological science, social science, local knowledge, and partnership-building into recovery planning and implementation.