Travis Audubon Membership Survey Summary
Over the summer, we connected with our 1,900+ members to ask a few important questions and get to know them better. Below is what we learned.
Passion and Purpose: Our members are united by a shared passion for birds, conservation, and community. They join Travis Audubon to support habitat protection, deepen their bird knowledge, and connect with like-minded individuals. Word of mouth and community relationships are major drivers of membership.
Conservation Tops the List: Members care deeply about protecting local sanctuaries, supporting species like the Golden-cheeked Warbler, and expanding outreach and partnerships. They also value accessible, diverse programming for all experience levels—from beginners to seasoned birders.
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1. What motivated you to become a member of Travis Audubon?
- Learn about birds – 305 (67%)
- Attend events – 294 (65%)
- Support bird conservation – 281 (62%)
- Connect – 195 (43%)
- Support local/enviro nonprofits – 166 (36%)
- Support TAS Sanctuaries – 135 (30%)
- Access to Baker Sanctuary – 118 (26%)
- Receive weekly newsletters – 52 (11%)
- Other – 44 (10%)
2. How did you first hear about Travis Audubon?
- Word of mouth – 172 (38%)
- Online search – 124 (27%)
- Other – 102 (22%)
- Purple Martin Party or other event – 27 (6%)
- Social media – 17 (4%)
- Event with TAS table – 14 (3%)
- Saw a group out birding – 9 (2%)
3. What prevents you from attending Travis Audubon events?
- Schedule conflicts – 300 (66%)
- Not aware of programs – 69 (15%)
- Prefer independent birding – 63 (14%)
- Events don’t match my interests – 60 (13%)
- Health or mobility limitations – 54 (12%)
- Other – 105 (23%)
4. What would make you more likely to attend?
- More local bird walks – 212 (47%)
- More local events like Purple Martin Parties – 127 (28%)
- Different days/times – 121 (27%)
- Beginner-friendly – 105 (23%)
- More long-distance birding events – 88 (19%)
- Other – 103 (23%)
5. Membership benefits: Do they meet expectations?
- Meet expectations – 254 (56%)
- Exceed expectations – 162 (36%)
- Not sure what benefits are included – 13 (3%)
- Fall short of expectations – 10 (2%)
6. Benefits valued most
- Knowing my funds support conservation – 342 (75%)
- Access to member-only walks/discounts – 209 (46%)
- Discounted classes & workshops – 181 (40%)
- Access to Baker Sanctuary – 174 (38%)
- Community & networking – 148 (33%)
- Weekly newsletter – 130 (29%)
- Other – 36 (8%)
Interesting notes:
- 50 people only selected “Conservation support”
- 16 people only selected “Access to Baker Sanctuary”
- 13 selected only “Member-only bird walks”
7. Would you like to get more involved?
- Attend more events – 212 (47%)
- Volunteer – 89 (20%)
- Join committee/working group – 38 (8%)
- Already very involved – 64 (14%)
- Not interested – 172 (38%)
- Other – 9 (2%)
8. What types of new programs or benefits would you like?
Open-ended question – responses included requests for more beginner classes, family-friendly events, and urban outreach programs.
9. What is your birding experience level?
- Intermediate – 229 (50%)
- Beginner – 121 (27%)
- Advanced – 43 (9%)
- Not a birder – 4 (1%)
10. Race / Ethnicity (Select all that apply)
- White – 381 (84%)
- Hispanic or Latino/a/x – 27 (6%)
- Asian – 16 (4%)
- Multiracial – 13 (3%)
- Middle Eastern or North African – 3 (1%)
- Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander – 2 (0%)
- American Indian or Alaska Native – 2 (0%)
- Black or African American – 1 (0%)
- Prefer Not to Say – 23 (5%)
- Other – 3 (3%)
- Left Blank – 13 (3%)
11. Age
- 65 – 74 years old – 129 (28%)
- 55 – 64 years old – 80 (18%)
- 75 years or older – 63 (14%)
- 35-44 years old – 41 (9%)
- 45-54 years old – 37 (8%)
- 25 – 34 years old – 30 (7%)
- 18 – 24 years old – 4 (1%)
- 12 – 17 years old – 3 (1%)
- Left Blank – 67 (15%)
12. Top 3 Priorities for Travis Audubon
- Investment in our wildlife sanctuaries – 267 (59%)
- Providing Bird Walks and bird classes – 240 (53%)
- Advocating for bird-safe glass and lighting – 176 (39%)
- Golden-cheeked Warbler Conservation – 158 (35%)
- Strengthening partnerships with other conservation orgs – 144 (32%)
- Outreach to underserved communities – 128 (28%)
- Expanding our presence in suburban communities – 112 (25%)
- Resolving the naming question – 29 (6%)
- Other – 56 (12%)
- Left Blank – 14 (3%)
