Hello, friends!

In case you haven't heard, a substantial 29% of birds has disappeared in North America since 1970. Let that number really sink in...more than 1 in 4 birds...gone. 

As the operations manager for Michigan Audubon, I am fundraising for our annual "Birdathon" event. Instead of walking or running, this event is based on the metric of how many bird species can be counted in one day by skilled birders at Whitefish Point Bird Observatory! If you aren't familiar with WPBO in Paradise, Michigan (in the beautiful Upper Peninsula), it is a very special place. Research and monitoring of migratory birds has been ongoing there for over 40 years.

I'm hoping that you will consider helping us continue the phenomenal work at WPBO so that we can ensure that birds have a fighting chance of survival despite the increasing challenges of climate change, habitat loss, and the Anthropocene epoch. With such steep population declines, birds NEED all the help they can get. I hope that my amazing friends and family will take a role in helping to turn this depressing statistic around. 

Thank you!

Liz

It’s that time of year again, and our skilled team of bird counters and volunteers set out on a mission to count as many bird species as possible in one day on May 25, 2020, — all to support the amazing work happening here at Whitefish Point Bird Observatory — and boy was it a success! A new record was set with a total of 166 species counted this year!

Your support of Birdathon helps us continue more than forty years of avian monitoring, habitat preservation, and educational programs and engagement at Whitefish Point. Your donation goes entirely to supporting the signature research and conservation programs at WPBO that contribute to greater knowledge and appreciation of migratory birds and their habitat at this Important Bird Area and program site of Michigan Audubon.

Please consider basing your donation on a per-species amount: 

• $5 per species = $830

• $2 per species = $332

• $1 per species = $166

• $.50 per species = $83.00

• $.25 per species = $41.50

Because our work is 100% donor-funded, Birdathon provides all of our supporters with an opportunity to make a significant impact on our work and help connect birds and people for the benefit of both.

We would like to thank all of the field staff and volunteers who took part in counting for the cause: Michael Kielb, Susan Kielb, Darrell Lawson, Kathy Lawson, Nova Mackentley, Elliot Nelson, Chris Neri, Alec Olivier, and Alison Vilag. This event would not be the success it is without people like you.

For more information about Birdathon, please visit wpbo.org/birdathon.