Once again I will be joining hundreds of people across Massachusetts this May to raise money for Mass Audubon but this year is special.  Optimism is in the air and new beginnings are possible.

The annual Bird-a-thon fundraiser is a birding competition where teams that represent different Mass Audubon sanctuaries and programs attempt to identify the most species of birds in a 24-hour period. I will start birding at 6:00pm on Friday, will take a few hours off to sleep when not hunting for owls, and then wake up at 4:00am to start birding again.  This year will be very different for me, however, because I retired on April 2nd and can devote much more time to the pursuit (and planning) than ever before.   I intend to bird with my usual team members Mark and Brian for at least some of the time but will continue to follow necessary social distancing requirements even though I will be fully vaccinated.  I hope that all of you are vaccinated or preparing to do so - together we can put the pandemic behind us.

As in the past, I am raising money for Wachusett Meadow because I believe in the importance of protecting the nature of Massachusetts and we have a wonderful sanctuary right in Princeton that does exactly that. I have always supported Mass Audubon’s efforts to protect the environment through conservation, education, and advocacy.  If you might have considered sending me a gift upon my retirement, please donate to Mass Audubon instead.  If you have some extra money left over from your covid relief checks, please consider a donation to Mass Audubon.  If you are feeling good about the future (finally!), please donate to Mass Audubon.  Use of my personal fundraising page is a great place to start!