The National Audubon Society has lost its battle for a bird-friendly envelope enclosing the state-owned Minneapolis stadium, just starting construction for the National Football League's Minnesota Vikings. But the defeat, though deflating, has a silver lining, says Audubon. The group went public with its 14-month campaign against a transparent facade after the Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority refused to switch to bird-friendly fritted glass for the $975-million facility.
"While, ideally, we hoped to find a solution through collaboration, the decision of the Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority has raised the issue of bird-friendly design to national consciousness," says Joanna Eckles, Audubon's bird-friendly communities manager.