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Columbus Audubon Birdathon!TM What is Birdathon!? Birdathon! is Audubon’s largest annual fundraising event, and the world’s largest bird-watching competition. Every year, thousands of people count birds, have fun, and raise vital funds for Audubon’s mission of environmental conservation, education, and advocacy. Columbus Audubon is just one of dozens of participating local chapters across the United States. Birdathon! is the bird watching equivalent of a walkathon: people count birds and collect pledges from sponsors based on the number of species they see. You don’t have to be an expert. Some people even do Birdathons from their couch, counting the visitors to their feeder. Others cover dozens of miles in a day, racking up over 200 species in some areas. The key is to have fun! In 1994, the Columbus Audubon Birdathon! was expanded to make it accessible to more members. Since then, participation has greatly increased. We now have 3 time categories to fit any birder’s schedule. The 24-hour category is for all those avid birders striving to identify every warbler, shorebird and raptor in their path. The 10-hour category is for serious, but well rested birders, who are happy to discern between a magnolia and a blackburnian warbler. For those who think a hike or a picnic in the park is the best way to see birds, we have the 5-hour category. As you can see we have something for every member. The Birdathon! is great fun for everyone, whether you are part of a team or a team sponsor. Form Your Own Team If you would like to form your own team, start with your favorite birding buddies, choose a fun team name and call Katryn Renard (614-261-7171) to register. Hit up all your friends and co-workers to sponsor you and then go birding! Count all the birds that you can identify in your chosen time category on any day between May 5th and May 14th. Remember, you don’t have to stay in Ohio; anywhere your group wants to travel to do their birding is fine. For some tips from veteran Birdathoners, see resources for teams. Sponsor a Team Another important way to participate in the Birdathon! is to sponsor a team. Just pick the team you wish to sponsor, fill out the sponsorship form and send it in. You do not need to send your money until you receive a notice from the team you sponsored. Where Do the Proceeds Go? This year, 100% of the proceeds from Birdathon! will go to the Grange Insurance Audubon Center, part of the Whittier Peninsula project. Plus, Columbus Audubon will match every dollar raised up to $15,000. This will help to fulfill Columbus Audubon's pledge of donating $100,000 toward the Nature Center. This center will be the state’s first urban Audubon Nature Center. Audubon Ohio envisions a great opportunity to bring programs and education to children and families within the inner city.
Birdathon! is a registered trademark of National Audubon. Page updated 04/16/07 © Columbus Audubon 2007 |
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