Audubon Vitae

Connecting older adults and nature for a more enriching and active lifestyle

Are you or a loved one looking to engage in more enriching experiences? You've come to the right place. Audubon Vitae is a program designed to create nurturing outdoor environments for Life Plan Community (LPC) residents and wildlife too. At the National Audubon Society, we have found that where “Birds Thrive, People Prosper.” Audubon Vitae teaches your LPC staff how to establish healthy habitats for birds, which also provide opportunities for you to enjoy an engaging, active lifestyle.

The first step to bringing Audubon Vitae to your Life Plan Community starts with you. Share your interest and the program information below with your LPC staff today.

How Audubon Vitae Works

Ken Elkins, the project manager of Audubon Vitae, works with LPC residents and staff to create a bird-friendly habitat at your community. This entails a pre-visit site evaluation, a three-day onsite training/implementation process, and ongoing education and guidance. There are four pillars to the success of the Audubon Vitae Program:

Creation of a committee comprised of leadership staff, horticulture/plant director, director of community lifestyle, your therapeutic recreation director, and resident volunteers
Creation of a suitable habitat
Training of staff and residents to maintain the habitat
Ongoing relationship to sustain both missions

Committees and Training

Once the creation of the committee is completed, Ken will conduct an online conference call to discuss the program and to coordinate the scheduling of the three-day training session. He will then work with your plant director to evaluate your current landscaping plan and then make recommendations to replace invasive plants with native plants to enhance the areas as bird habitat. Once this plan has been completed, Ken will work with your plant director to properly acquire the plant materials and arrange delivery just before the 3-day training session.

Ready to get started? Have Questions? Contact Ken Elkins at 203-405-9113 or by email.

Three -Day Training Session (proposed schedule)
DAY ONE Working with the plant department staff, your lifestyle director, and resident volunteers, Ken will lead the installation of the native bird and pollinator garden(s). New bird feeders will also be installed. He will then teach your team how to properly maintain these plantings and feeders. An afternoon or evening program for residents will illustrate which birds, butterflies, and wildlife will be attracted by these various changes.
DAY TWO 9 a.m. - Noon Ken will work with your community lifestyle director to develop a plan of how to implement a year-long calendar of events and activities that connect residents with nature. Opportunities include native flower and bird walks, events around the arrival of different species of birds, and the ongoing maintenance of the feeders, trees, and shrubs.
1 - 5 p.m. Ken will train your therapeutic recreation director and their staff onBird Tales—a therapeutic program, for people with dementia, that connects people with birds and nature. This hands-on workshop will include a demonstration with residents and time to develop a 12-month calendar of bird-related activities.
DAY THREE 9 a.m. - Noon Ken will work with your marketing director to promote the partnership with Audubon. This will include uploading to your website an Audubon Video detailing the partnership with your community.
2 - 4 p.m. Audubon will invite age and income-qualified local Audubon Members to a kickoff event with your community's residents.