Think Birdathon

As a Birdathon volunteer, you can get your friends and neighbors involved inhelping to support local education and conservation efforts. It's not justtheir financial contribution that's important; you'll also be spreading theword about local projects and concerns and the fun of bird-watching, when youtell prospective sponsors why you think Madrone Audubon is important, and laterwhen they receive your report on your bird-count experience.

Birdathon volunteers can work alone or in teams. Each person lines up sponsors,who pledge a given amount per species seen or a flat amount to support yourefforts for Madrone. Then you choose a day in February, and identify as manyspecies as you can during a 24-hour period. Your survey area can be as small asyour own back yard, or include prime birding habitat throughout the county.After the count is completed, notify your sponsors of the number of species andmoney due. (Some Birdathoners provide written reports, indicating the speciesseen and locations.) Have the checks made out to Madrone Audubon Society andsent to you.

When all the monies have been collected, send them, along with a list of teammembers and the number of species seen, to the Treasurer, Madrone AudubonSociety, Post Office Box 1911, Santa Rosa, California 95402. Your list and birdcount will be given to Betty Groce, Birdathon Chair.

For more information, call Betty at539-8664.

The team of Peter Leveque, Jeff Holtzman, and Dan Kahane are challenging allcomers to beat their species total. Last year, the group counted 98 species,and they're going to try for even more this year. Think you can beat them? CallPeter at 542-8946 to pose your challenge.