| Birdathon!
It's the most fun you'll ever have helping to
protect Vermont's natural heritage!
Held each May, Birdathon is Audubon's largest annual
fundraising event and a great way to get outside this spring
to enjoy all that Vermont's fields, forests and waterways
have to offer. Anyone can do a Birdathon! If you can't tell
a goose from a grouse, we can teach you how, or simply sign
you up as a sponsor. Every year, Vermonters like you join
us to count birds, have fun, and raise vital funds for
Audubon Vermont's important work in environmental conservation,
education, and advocacy.
Here's how a Birdathon works:
The Birdathon is just like a walkathon, but instead of counting
miles, you spend a great spring day outdoors scanning skies,
trees and water - even your backyard feeder - for birds,
collecting pledges to help protect wildlife. All you have
to do is choose a date and time (usually in early May, when
birds are migrating) and start counting.
How Can I Participate in Birdathon?
You can do it alone, with your kids, your colleagues, your
daughter's scout troop, however you choose. You don't have
to be an expert - some people even do Birdathons by counting
the visitors to their feeder. Others cover dozens of miles
in a day, racking up over 100 species. The key to Birdathon
is to have fun!
Form your own birding team. Get
a few of your birding friends together and schedule any day
in May to go birding. Contact
us for more information or to register.
Take a corporate "bird break." Trade
in your briefcase for binoculars, grab a co-worker and count
birds on your
lunch hour! Contact us for more information on getting your
business involved in Birdathon.
Be a backyard birder. Gather
pledges and watch birds in your town park, in your neighborhood
or at your own backyard feeder.
Contact us for more information and a pledge kit.
We know from comments - ranging from the surprised "hey,
that really was fun" to the more passionate "I'm
hooked on a new hobby!" - that this quirky way of raising
funds truly has a unique appeal. Last year's Birdathon
helped raise over $11,000 in support of Audubon Vermont's
mission
to conserve and restore Vermont's natural ecosystems,
focusing on birds and other wildlife. We hope you'll
join with other
wildlife enthusiasts in communities across Vermont to
help make Birdathon a success. All funds raised by Birdathon
will remain in Vermont to fund local programs in environmental
education, science, and public policy.
Can't go birding? Sponsor an Audubon Vermont staff member
or make a straight donation to Birdathon by using our convenient
email pledge form.
Whether you're a serious, casual or beginning birder, you
can take part in Birdathon. Simply download our Birdathon volunteer instructions, a sponsor sign-up sheet, and a sample sponsor request letter (optional- modify as desired). For more information, contact Joanne Fitzgerald at jfitzgerald@audubon.org jfitzgerald@audubon.org or
802-434-3068.
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