From the Minneapolis Star Tribune:
Two downtown Minneapolis skyscrapers are the initial participants in a new project that will turn off lights to prevent birds attracted by the nighttime glow from crashing into tall buildings or circling them in a daze until falling.
The 57-story Wells Fargo Building and 33-story Accenture Buildings will turn off unneeded lighting during peak migration hours under the Lights Out Minnesota Project.
Most songbirds migrate at night. Although most manage to navigate around tall buildings and other hazards, millions die each year. Lights Out programs in Toronto, New York and Chicago have saved migratory birds, said Mark Martell, director of bird conservation for Audubon Minnesota.
"The Lights Out program costs building owners or managers little or nothing to implement and will save energy and money at the same time it saves birds," Martell said.
The Minneapolis and St. Paul Building Owners and Managers associations are encouraging members to sign on.
Citizens who want to help the effort can donate money to the Nongame Wildlife Program on their state tax forms, or they can volunteer to collect fallen birds to help experts assess mortality causes. For more information, call the state Audubon Society at 651-739-9332.
You can also watch a video of the segment at WCCO. If you or someone you know works in a tall office building please encourage them to get their building managers to join this effort to help birds on their way to their breeding grounds. Also if you work in either the Wells Fargo Tower, the Accenture Building or any skyscraper participating in the Lights Out campaign, it probably wouldn't hurt to tell them thank you.