Editor's Note: This chapter more than tripled its Birdathon proceeds this year, raising $12,500.

What did the Sea & Sage A.S. Birdathon (CA) do differently this year? First I shifted emphasis a little, to "funding event" first, and "birding competition" second. The dollars raised by individuals or teams determined prize awards and official recognition. We bought two wooden plaques for Audubon House display. Each year a new inscription will honor the individual or team raising the most money.

Teeming with Teams

Second, we got more teams into the field. We have a good membership at 2,600-plus, but it's always the same 2,600 people who get hit with requests for donations. However, when people solicit Birdathon funds, they ask family members, neighbors, co-workers, their physicians, etc. Since there is a low probability that these people are already Audubon members, this directly increases funding from outside. In previous years, our top number of teams was 5, or about 20 people, some of whom never solicited pledges. This year I had 9 teams and 32 birders out there by aggressively recruiting early. And since the emphasis was on funding rather than birding, even novice birders had an impact. One of our totally new teams brought in over $1,200.

High Profile Leader

We also capitalized on one high profile person in our community: education director, Trude Hurd. Trude collected pledges for her own Big Day. She went to just two places and logged only 75 species, but she was a magnet for pledges; she racked up an amazing $2,225 by herself.

Publicity

We publicized heavily, in local newsletters of organizations, on the Internet through the Orange County Rare Bird Alert, through local major newspapers, etc. We pushed publicity in our newsletter a little harder and got write-in contributions that added about $500 relative to totals from preceding years.

Local Causes

It's a big selling point locally that 100% of the funds stay right here in Southern CA, for the benefit of local citizens. The half we donate to NAS goes to the Starr Ranch Sanctuary.

Profiting from Field Trips

We give people something back for their money by offering field trips, the proceeds of which go to Birdathon coffers. The most successful was a hawk-and-owl-banding trip run at Starr Ranch (site of one of the longest-running raptor research projects in the western U.S.). Participants pay $30 and get up-close and personal with impressive birds of prey. This trip, run multiple times in the spring as part of the Birdathon, raised over $1,300 by itself (the other three trips combined brought in less than $600).

Planning for Next Year

I will be Birdathon chair for the next two years. The success rate tends to drop over the 3-year tenure of our Birdathon chairs. I believe we can buck that trend; feedback has been universally upbeat. Folks tell me how much fun it was (more than expected), and are already analyzing what to do differently next year.

Cut-Throat Competition

I expect the competition to heat up next year. Teams are eager to beat the Big Day record set this year by "The Greater Roadrunners," who racked up an impressive 181 species. (The Roadrunners are our oldest team, average age being about 60. I tried to get them to go as "The Old Coots," but for some reason this didn't sell well...) Oddly, although the competition aspect was de-emphasized this year, we had by far our best competition.

For More Info, Contact: Bruce Aird, 21505 Via Sombreada; Lake Forest, CA 92630; ph: 714/458-1520; email: aird_bruce@allergan.com.