TRAVIS AUDUBON BIRDATHON

A feathered friendly competition to support conservation through birding

During the first week of May, Plateau's Mark Gray, Lee Kothmann, and Romey Swanson -- the Plateau Parulas -- will be competing in the Travis Audubon Society's Birdathon. Like a walkathon, it's a fundraising event in which participants collect sponsors and pledges for their efforts. Instead of pledges for every mile walked, it's every bird seen or heard. Individuals and teams of birders fan out around Texas, from dawn to dusk, and count all the bird species they see and hear. The Plateau Parula's birding will take place during a continuous 24-hour period some time between May 1 and May 8.

With permission from the Plateau powers that be, Mark, Lee, and Romey are asking for your support in their fundraising efforts for the Travis Audubon Society, an important birding and conservation group. You can make a donation to support the team by pledging a flat rate for the day or a specific amount per species. The Plateau Parulas will be competing against other Birdathon teams to try to raise the most money for Travis Audubon. The Birdathon is one of two major Travis Audubon fundraisers this year. The money raised will be used for ongoing habitat conservation and education efforts, as well as enabling the society to continue to offer great field trips, classes, and monthly meetings. All sponsors will receive a receipt for their tax-deductible contribution. Travis Audubon is a nonprofit, 501(c)3 organization.

Also, to kick up the fun quotient another notch, the guys will be on Twitter tweeting their bird sightings at twitter.com/plateauwildlife. You can monitor their birding success as it happens!

If you might be interested in supporting the efforts of the Plateau Parulas please contact Mark Gray at mgray@plateauwildlife.com or (512) 8924-3479 for more information. Mark will have birdathon specifics and sponsorship information. Also, to learn more about the Travis Audubon Society, visit travisaudubon.org.

The goal at Travis Audubon is to "Inspire Conservation through Birding". Please help Mark, Lee, and Romey help the birds!

Parula note: Bearing absolutely no resemblance to Mark, Lee, or Romey, a parula is actually a small songbird. The Northern Parula, as well as the Tropical Parula found only in South Texas, is rather small even for a warbler. Its distinctive breast patch sets it apart from other warblers.