Nature PEI

Birding for Conservation with the Baillie Birdathon


Spring has arrived, and bringing with it the wonderful return of our
migrant birds. The annual Baillie Birdathon is your chance to have fun
birding and enjoy some time outside, while helping Canada\'s wild birds.
It is also your opportunity to raise funds for your chosen Naturalist
Club. Birdathon is an important fundraiser for Bird Studies Canada
(BSC), and participants can designate the conservation organization of
their choice to receive a portion of the money they raise (from 25-50%,
depending on the total amount raised for the club).  BSC is Canada\'s
only national charitable organization dedicated to advancing the
understanding, appreciation, and conservation of wild birds and their
habitats. BSC coordinates the event and handles the administration,
including issuing income tax receipts to all sponsors.

You don\'t need to be an expert birder to get involved in the Birdathon.
Participants simply collect sponsor pledges, and then spend up to 24
hours in May searching for as many species of birds as possible.  You
can bird for just a few hours on your own from your backyard, or
challenge other club members to a friendly competition. Upon
registration, all participants are provided with their own personal
fundraising webpage to help make fundraising both fun and easy. Some
fantastic prizes are also available to be won by participants, including
an all-inclusive trip through Eagle-Eye Tours, or a pair of binoculars
or spotting scope from Eagle Optics.ca. Participants also receive an
official Baillie Birdathon t-shirt free just for registering!

Many great things have been accomplished for birds through funds raised
by the Baillie Birdathon. This national fundraiser has provided
important finances to local clubs for everything from land purchases and
habitat work to bird feeding trails and youth nature camps.  Funds
received by Bird Studies Canada are used to support Canada-wide
volunteer surveys that track bird population changes over time, such as
Project FeederWatch and the Christmas Bird Counts, as well as owl
surveys, beached bird surveys, Species at Risk projects, and much more.
BSC scientists use this information to draw attention to serious
declines and assist with conservation planning.  The James L. Baillie
Memorial Fund also receives a portion of revenues for its granting
program to support special research projects across the country.

For more information and to register, visit Bird Studies Canada\'s web
page at: www.birdscanada.org/support/birdathon or contact Kristine
Dobney at 1-888-448-2473, or email birdathon@birdscanada.org. Baillie
Birdathon registration forms, kits, and brochures are available upon
request.



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