Greetings all! I truly hope this finds you all safe and healthy during this trying and quite scary time in our lives. 

The pandemic has reached us all in many ways and very likely changed our “normal” lives forever. One of the big things that went under the bus this past spring was the annual Birdathon that we have been holding in May for the past five years. With the threat of spreading the virus among the team members it was rightly decided to cancel or postpone this year’s fund drive.  Unfortunately, the Northcoast Environmental Center and the Redwood Region Audubon Society can’t put their costs on hold and recent finance committee meetings have shown how important the income from the Birdathon has become.

So, like the famous Phoenix, Tim McKay’s Birdathon will rise once again albeit with a number of modifications. This year we will likely be going out alone or at least driving separate vehicles as we venture forth to tally our bird for the count.  Holding the count in September as opposed to May will be more challenging as birds are not calling near as much as they do when setting up breeding territories in the spring.

Please think of all the money we are saving by not travelling this year and consider donating to this year’s Birdathon. As in past years, you can donate a flat rate of your choice or (my favorite) pledge a given amount per species of bird. The Birdathon will be held between September 12^th to September 20^th but each participant still only gets a 24-hour period of time to amass their bird count.  You can submit your pledge through PayPal here. Please be sure to list which team/person you are supporting!

We thank you all for your past support of our efforts and thank you once again for even considering this donation. Please continue to stay safe by wearing the darn masks, washing your hands, and praying for a good vaccine in the near future. Oh, and don’t forget to vote!!!!