Support Local Education & Conservation

WITH PEE WEE AUDUBON bursting at the seams, demand forour education resource kits outstripping supply, and hot conservation issuespopping up practically every month, our annual fund-raising effort has neverbeen more important. To help raise more money this year, we're enclosing withthis issue an envelope you can use, either to volunteer for the FebruaryBirdathon or to make a direct contribution to Madrone Audubon.

We realize that the future is in the hands of our children and earlyexperiences are crucial in determining their attitudes toward the environment.That is why Madrone places special emphasis on programs for youth. Our mostimportant resource is the dozens of dedicated volunteers who make theseprograms possible, but financial support is also needed.

Our classroom resource kits have been so popular with teachers and youth groupleaders that the waiting list to borrow these popular kits can be months long.Each kit costs $200 or more, and we presently need at least three additionalones. Equally popular is the Audubon Adventures program, which is based on ascience newspaper provided to classrooms six times a year by the NationalAudubon Society. The cost of just $35 per class is paid either by individualsponsors or by Madrone Audubon. With additional financial support, we couldoffer this program to more elementary school teachers with the certainty ofbeing able to fund it.

Pee Wee Audubon, which provides natural science outings for children and theirfamilies, now often draws 75 to 100 participants for its Saturday or Sundayoutings--about twice the ideal number for some of these programs. Whileindividuals and businesses in the community have been generous in providingmaterials, the professional educators who lead many of these exciting sessionsneed to be paid. With additional funding, we could offer two sessions of someprograms and reduce their size.

Madrone Audubon also participates actively in conservation issues and programsthroughout the county. Our Conservation Committee meets monthly and, supportedby the Board of Directors, speaks for us on urgent environmental issues. OurOutreach Committee arranges for exhibits and distribution of educationalmaterials. Again, the key element is volunteers, but funding is important tosecure some of our objectives--for example, the preservation of the LagunaUplands and Redwood Canyon in 1996, and support of legal battles such as MarinAudubon's effort to save important habitat at Black Point. We contributed$2,000 to land acquisition projects in Sonoma County during the 1995-96 Audubonyear, and took on a substantial commitment to National Audubon's MayacamasReserve. We also help to support the Bouverie Preserve and Audubon CanyonRanch.

Whether you choose to contribute directly or as a Birdathon volunteer, yourhelp will be much appreciated, and will have direct effects right here inSonoma County. Donations to Madrone also make a meaningful office or personalholiday gift.

For more information on the Birdathon, please see Birdathon article. -JSB