Public Invited to Participate in One-of-a-Kind Fundraiser to Support Wildlife Conservation in Maine

FALMOUTH - April 20, 2005

Funds raised support Maine Audubon’s sanctuaries, local chapters and environmental education and conservation programs statewide.

Many organizations raise money for important causes by sponsoring walkathons, bikeathons and even haircut-a-thons. But there’s only one ‘thon in Maine that tallies bird species to benefit wildlife conservation statewide: Maine Audubon’s Birdathon.

“It’s my favorite day of the year,” says birder and Maine Representative Bob Duchesne of Hudson. Part of a Birdathon team known as The Cardinal Sins, Duchesne is a Birdathon veteran.

In its seventh year—held this year Saturday, May 14 through Monday, May 30—Maine Audubon’s Birdathon is like any marathon: quantity counts. But instead of counting miles, Birdathoners count birds, scanning skies, trees, water and even the backyard feeder. In advance, they solicit pledges ranging from 10¢ to $10 for each bird species they see. Funds raised support Maine Audubon’s sanctuaries, local chapters and environmental education and conservation programs statewide.

The Birdathon’s most competitive teams consist of birding fanatics who search out and count as many bird species as they can, listening and looking from dawn to dusk or, in some cases, for 24 hours straight. Armed with binoculars, field guides and secret strategies to hit as many birding hot spots as possible, the members of last year’s champion team saw 139 species. They return this year, led again by two birders recognized as experts in Maine and nationwide, Jan Pierson and Peter Vickery.

EDITORS/REPORTERS: We can provide bird-watching photographs or arrange for you to join a Birdathon team. OR: Have breakfast while birding with Maine Audubon Birdathon teams and expert birders Jan Pierson and Peter Vickery, 7:30-9:30 a.m. Thursday, May 26 at the ponds in the back of Evergreen Cemetery on Stevens Avenue in Portland. If you’re interested, call (207) 781-2330, ext. 229 or 241.

But not all Birdathon participants are experienced birders: people of all abilities and ages are invited to blaze a Birdathon trail.

In less than four hours last spring, beginning birders Dave and Laury Maass of Scarborough spotted 25 species at their backyard feeders and during a short drive along the coast.

Eleven-year-old Brunswick resident Peter Doucette and his dad, Mike, took advantage of Maine Audubon’s 12-hour public Birdathon trip to scour southern Maine for 115 species. “It’s really fun to get to bird for such a long period, plus I brought one of my best friends who’s also a birder,” says Peter Doucette.

In Downeast Maine, Norman and Janice Jones of Millbridge tallied 113 species at their backyard feeders as well as in Petit Manan National Wildlife Refuge and along the coast from Kittery to Columbia Falls.

And then there’s Bob Duchesne and the Cardinal Sins, who began birding at 2 a.m. last spring to tally nearly 120 species in 20 hours. “You don’t even have to be a good birder—when you go out on an adventure like this in May, you’re going to see a lot of birds. They’re practically going to come to you!”

“If you’re not a birding expert, don’t let that ruffle your feathers,” affirms Ginger Jones, Maine Audubon’s development director. “Join the Birdathon to have fun, learn more about birds and birding, and help support Maine Audubon’s work to protect our state’s wildlife.”

Participants in the 2005 Maine Audubon Birdathon have from Saturday, May 14—which is International Migratory Bird Day—to Monday, May 30 to complete a choice of activities:

• Form a competitive or noncompetitive birding team with friends or family;
• Join a public Birdathon trip hosted by Maine Audubon’s state office in Falmouth or local Maine Audubon chapter;
• Be a Backyard Birder, looking for birds in the back yard, neighborhood or a local park;
• Take a Business Bird Break, counting birds with coworkers; or
• Make a donation to the Birdathon or a pledge to Maine Audubon’s staff team.

Click here for:

• Competitive team rules for Birdathon 2005;
• Suggestions for noncompetitive participants;
• Tips on how to get pledges;
• Contact information for local Maine Audubon chapters;
• Printer-friendly sponsor sheets (PDF);
• Sample solicitation and pledge collection letters;
• Profiles of Birdathon participants;
• List of Maine Audubon birding workshops and classes to help you learn how to identify species; and
• List of common Maine bird species.
  

Questions about Birdathon 2005? E-mail birdathon@maineaudubon.org or call Susy Kist, Maine Audubon special events coordinator, at (207) 781-2330, ext. 231.

Maine Audubon works to conserve Maine's wildlife and wildlife habitat by engaging people of all ages in education, conservation and action.

With a 160-year history of connecting people with nature, Maine Audubon is the only organization in Maine working to conserve wildlife in three ways: providing hands-on environmental education for people of all ages, conducting research and wildlife conservation projects statewide, and taking action to help shape effective science-based conservation policy.

Support for Maine Audubon comes from its 11,000 members, donors and volunteers, including individuals, foundations and corporations. Maine Audubon is an affiliate of Audubon's national organization and has local chapters statewide; membership in Maine Audubon includes Audubon membership at the national, state and local levels.

Maine Audubon's 3,000 acres of wildlife sanctuary and its community-based environmental centers, citizen science programs, and hundreds of trips, programs, classes and camps offer young children through senior citizens wide-ranging opportunities to explore, learn about and care for Maine's wildlife throughout the year.

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