Program Meeting | Verde Valley Important Bird Areas

Join us as we kick of the Verde Valley Birding and Nature Festival with a celebration of this incredible bird habitats of the Verde Valley. 

The Verde Valley is home to hundreds of bird species and four designated Important Bird Areas (IBAs)—places recognized internationally for their significance to bird conservation. Tice Supplee and Jennie MacFarland will highlight these special locations and the birds that depend on them through photos, stories, and insights into the habitats that make the Verde Valley such an exceptional place for birdlife.

The Important Bird Areas of the Verde Valley achieved their designations thanks to the efforts of dedicated local volunteers who documented the unique value of these landscapes for birds.

Date: Wednesday, April 22, 2026

Time: 4:30 PM

Location: Cottonwood Public Library, 100 S 6th St, Cottonwood, AZ

Speakers: Tice Supplee and Jennie MacFarland, Director of Bird Conservation at Tucson Bird Alliance.

About Tice: Tice Supplee is a longtime Arizona conservation leader who recently retired as Director of Bird Conservation for Audubon Southwest. Over a 50-year career—including 29 years with the Arizona Game and Fish Department—she helped lead important bird monitoring and conservation initiatives across the state, including Arizona’s Important Bird Areas program.

About Jennie: Jennie MacFarland is the Director of Bird Conservation at the Tucson Bird Alliance. A lifelong birder and graduate of the University of Arizona with a degree in Wildlife Conservation and Management, she leads community science efforts including the Tucson Bird Count and surveys for species such as Elegant Trogon and Yellow-billed Cuckoo across southeastern Arizona.