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NYC Audubon 'Lights Out New York' Program adds 29 Manhattan Office Buildings

Joining major NYC realtors such as the Durst Organization, Tishman Speyer, and Silverstein Properties, SL Green Realty Corp is now adding 29 Manhattan buildings under its management to NYC Audubon’s Lights Out New York program, with the goal of saving the lives of tens of thousands of migrating birds every year.
Edward V. Piccinich, Executive Vice President at SL Green Realty Corp says, “Participation in this program is just another example of SL Green’s good corporate citizenship and efforts we make to benefit the community and the environment.” The new participation of SL Green Corp’s 29 properties brings the total of office buildings cooperating in Lights Out New York to 89 (see page 3), all committed to shutting off their exterior lights during bird migration seasons from midnight until dawn, from September 1 to November 1, and April 1 to June 1.
“This is a very easy program for building managers and owners to participate in,” says Helena Durst, “because not only are you helping migratory birds, you are saving energy.” All Durst Organization commercial properties participate in Light Out New York, including its internationally acclaimed green building, the Bank of America Tower at Bryant Park.
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NYC is host to more than 350 species of birds, most of which are migrating birds. Thirty-five species are threatened or endangered; 70 more are experiencing serious population declines.
Most birds migrate at night. Navigating by stars and moon, they can become hopelessly disoriented by the thousands of dots of light that beam through the distance from the windows of empty office towers, filling the horizon. Like moths to a flame, some birds become entrapped by decoratively lit skyscraper towers and circle them until they drop exhausted onto dangerous city streets. When they take off in the morning, if they survive the night, they often break their necks flying into windows of reflective glass that look like the open sky.
NYC Audubon’s research indicates that at least 90,000 birds die in the city this way every year; almost a million birds a decade. “That estimate is likely low,” says ornithologist Susan Elbin, Ph.D., NYC Audubon’s director of science. “Funding for this type of research is limited,” she adds, pointing out that “Collisions are difficult to document in the field. The consensus among biologists doing this research is that bird deaths from window collisions may actually be as high as one billion a year nationally.”
“We were delighted to bring our total of cooperating New York City buildings to 89,” says ornithologist John Rowden, PhD., associate director of science at NYC Audubon. “Tenants in residential buildings and owners of private homes can cooperate in this program, too,” he adds, “so that leaves us with only 321,315 NYC buildings left to sign up for Lights Out New York!”
Lights Out New York is sponsored and organized by New York City Audubon with the cooperation of the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, Building Owners and Managers Association of New York, and the Real Estate Board of New York. NYC Audubon is a nonprofit organization, separately incorporated from the National Audubon Society. NYC Audubon is the only environmental organization that concentrates its efforts exclusively on the five boroughs.
Building managers who wish to register for Lights Out New York can call Susan Elbin at NYC Audubon at 212-691-7483.
What individuals can do to help save birds from death:
From September 1 to November 1 and April 1 to June 1
• • • •
Turn off lights at night on unoccupied floors and in unused space Close blinds in rooms that are lit Turn off ceiling lights and use table lamps Report bird collisions and injured birds to NYC Audubon at 212-691-7483
For additional information contact:
NYC Audubon. Glenn Phillips, 212-691-7483; gphillips@nycaudubon.org SL Green, Melanie Keenan 212-843-8092 The Durst Organization, Jordan Barowitz 212-257-6605
See next page for list of buildings cooperating in Lights Out 2
Companies & Buildings Participating in New York City Audubon’s Lights Out New York
Tishman Speyer
The Chrysler Building Rockefeller Center
Boston Properties
601 Lexington (formerly known as Citigroup Center)
Time Warner
Time Warner Center
Con Edison - New! Con Edison Clock Tower
787 Seventh Avenue
731 Lexington Avenue
Forest City Ratner Companies
Metro Tech Center The New York Times Building (with The New York Times)
Silverstein Properties
529 Fifth Avenue 570 Seventh Avenue 575 Lexington Avenue 1177 Avenue of the Americas 7 World Trade Center 120 Broadway 120 Wall Street River Place I (residential) Silver Towers (residential)
Durst Properties
One Bryant Park Four Times Square 675 Third Avenue 655 Third Avenue 733 Third Avenue 205 East 42nd Street 114 West 47th Street 1133 Avenue of the Americas 1155 Avenue of the Americas
Brookfield Office Properties
World Financial Center Rockefeller Center West Masonic Hall (home to NYC Audubon) 225 Varick Street 850 Third Avenue
JP Morgan Chase properties
Five buildings in Manhattan, including corporate headquarters, and two Brooklyn buildings
SL Green Realty Corp - New! 600 Lexington Avenue 100 Church Street 317 Madison Avenue
331 Madison Avenue 48 East 43rd Street 555 West 57th Street 625 Madison Avenue 919 Third Avenue 600 Lexington Avenue 1185 Sixth Avenue 1350 Sixth Avenue 609 Fifth Avenue
673 First Avenue 215 Park Avenue South 125 Park Avenue 120 West 45th Street 521 Fifth Avenue 711 Third Avenue 19 West 44th Street 220 East 42nd Street 461 Fifth Avenue 810 Seventh Avenue 100 Park Avenue 16 Court Street 16 East 34th Street 333 West 34th Street 420 Lexington Avenue 485 Lexington Avenue 750 Third Avenue 1515 Broadway

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