Hello Friends, Neighbors, Family, and Fellow Birders,

I’ll be upfront about the reason I’m contacting you.  I’m about to hit you up for a donation to the Travis Audubon Society for an event called Birdathon.  Birdathon is one of Travis Audubon’s most engaging and entertaining ways to protect Central Texas native birds. Like a walkathon, Birdathon participants either collect pledges for finding and counting bird species (not every bird), or seek lump sum donations. 

My team is called the Master Birders and we will be trekking to High Island on the upper Texas coast during the first weekend in May.  High Island is a world-famous migratory bird trap, which during the spring can be filled with thousands of birds returning to their breeding grounds in the U.S. and Canada after spending the winter in Central and South America.  We could see around 130 species on a good day. So if you wanted to donate $1million per species that would be….let’s see let me do the math…….Oh just $130 million! If that doesn’t fit your budget because you have mouths to feed, house and car payments, or student loans to pay off, then something less like $1/species might be an option.  So if you are now thinking – Gee Kelley, what a deal, where do I sign up! Well wipe away those tears of joy, still your beating hearts, and click on the following link to donate directly to my page. The individual goal is to raise $200 in support of my team in the Birdathon competition. All proceeds go directly to Travis Audubon and support wildlife and habitat conservation in the greater Austin area. 

https://travis.z2systems.com/np/clients/travis/donation.jsp?campaign=60&fundraiser=9781&

In all seriousness, thank you for your consideration and Travis Audubon appreciates your support!

Best Regards,

Kelley Sampeck

Travis Audubon Society

Master Birder Intern

For those who are unfamiliar with the Travis Audubon society and its purpose, below is some background information:

Mission

Travis Audubon promotes the enjoyment, understanding, and conservation of native birds and their habitats through:

Land Conservation

Habitat Restoration and Management

Environmental Education

Conservation Advocacy

Overview

Travis Audubon is an independent chapter of the National Audubon Society. We are a non-profit corporation with tax-exempt status, governed by a 12-person Board of Directors and managed by a full-time Executive Director. Many of our programs and activities are organized and led by a dedicated, experienced, and highly skilled corps of volunteers.

We protect critical habitat for the endangered Golden-cheeked Warbler at our 715-acre Baker Sanctuary. Our Chaetura Canyon Sanctuary is home to more than 30 nesting avian species and is world renowned for research and conservation of Chimney Swifts. Blair Woods in east Austin is a ‘living lab’ for habitat restoration and education. Travis Audubon continues to spearhead conservation programs locally and support them abroad.

We lead diverse and interesting field trips and bird walks nearly every weekend and on weekdays, both at local birding hotspots and exotic getaways. We offer an exciting array of monthly speakers and workshops, as well as a variety of popular programs including Youth Birding Camp, our annual Birdathon, and several different seasonal bird counts and surveys.

Travis Audubon offers year-round classes from birding basics to advanced classes for the identification of sparrows, raptors, gulls, butterflies and dragonflies, and even grasses. Our outreach programs strive to educate the community about the vital connection between conservation and sustainable, healthy human habitats.

Birdathon teams are making birding count for conservation! Check out the fundraiser profiles and consider making a contribution that will support wildlife conservation and education.

You can take part too! Birdathon participants plan an afternoon or day of birding and compete individually or as a team to win awards for highest bird species count and highest donations collected. Much like a walkathon, fundraisers collect pledges to raise money for conservation. This friendly competition is open to all levels of birders. If you would like assistance setting up a fundraising page or team of your own, please contact Nancy Sprehn at volunteer@travisaudubon.org or 512-300-2473.