Aveda is combining its strength in beauty, environment, fashion and art with the Autumn/Winter 2017 Collection: Birds of Paradise to raise awareness of the simple actions we can take to protect the habitats of our avian population.

Birds’ daily activities provide a balance key to slowing climate change. They disperse seeds to grow plants that we need for food, protect farmer’s fields from being destroyed, scavenge to maintain the sanitation of our landscape, and serve as a gauge for the health of ecosystems.

“With hundreds of species on the brink of extinction, it felt timelier than ever to celebrate the beauty birds bring to the skies and the balance they bring to our ecosystem,” says Antoinette Beenders, Aveda Global Creative Director.

Additionally, Aveda continues to evolve its 10-year partnership with the Audubon Society with its #plantsforbirds campaign which encourages guests to plant native plants to create habitats for birds, butterflies and bees.

“Birds, bees, butterflies, and other pollinators are responsible for bringing us one out of every three bites of food we take, and they are critical to a healthy, sustainable ecosystem,” Melissa Chelminiak, Director of Mission, Partner and Stakeholder Engagement at Aveda. “It is therefore imperative that we continue to inspire and educate others to create more viable homes for one of nature’s greatest allies.”

Interested in making a difference?  Here are a few simple yet impactful ways to contribute:

1. Be a mindful gardener and populate your backyard or terrace with native trees, flowering plants, bird baths and feeders. In the U.S., please visit Audubon.org/plantsforbirds to see Audubon’s Native Plant database which provides a list of plants appropriate by zip code along with local nurseries to purchase them. They’ve done all the research for you.

2. Take reusable bags to the grocery store instead of throwing away plastic ones which end up in oceans, killing seabirds who mistake them for jellyfish or squid. If your salon offers the choice between plastic or paper, choose paper!

3. Purchase shade-grown coffee certified by The Rainforest Alliance which guarantees that the coffee was grown on farms that are managed to conserve and protect birds and other wildlife, habitat, ecosystem functions, streams, springs and soils. 

4. Join the U.S. Lights Out movement to decrease the number of birds killed in collisions with glass-fronted buildings that are brightly illuminated at night.