Fantastic Birds of the USA

This is the first slide of a PowerPoint presentation I am giving to raise money for Bird-a-thon this year.  The presentation will be at Carmel Terrace in Framingham, where my mom is currently a resident.  I almost didn't sign up to raise money for Mass Audubon's Bird-a-thon this year because mom's not doing well at all.  But after a little soul-searching, I changed my mind.  Bird-a-thon raises money to protect the nature of Massachusetts, and that is a cause very dear to my heart.  Despite everything, Tom and I will be participating in Bird-a-thon 2012 with a vengeance!

I won't bore you with images of all 50 slides, but I do want to show you a few highlights from the presentation. This slide commemorates a sighting from our first Bird-a-thon, when my son Pete was a part of our team.  Pete is now in Zambia, Africa as a Peace Corps volunteer.  We barely speak because it's outrageously expensive, but he was thrilled to hear that we'd be doing Bird-a-thon for Broadmoor again this year.  Pete was the Property Manager at Broadmoor Audubon Sanctuary in Natick when this photo was taken, and he loves the place.  All the more reason for us to join Bird-a-thon this year!

Not all the photos are from previous year's Bird-a-thon results.  Some are images of local birds, and some are pictures we took when visiting Arizona and California at Christmas.  This photo was taken when Pete and I went to the Cape in February 2011. 

We've seen Northern Pintails in Arizona, California, and in Massachusetts.  The range and migration patterns of birds is well understood by experienced birders, but many non-birders find such facts absolutely fascinating.  I was overwhelmed by how many people became attuned to the world of birds and birding after seeing my last presentation.  It is sometimes hard to ask people to donate money for your cause, but when you give your audience the gift of hearing songbirds they never noticed before, asking for donations becomes a bit easier!

Of course, the presentation also includes some fantastic looking birds that usually evoke gasps of wonder from the audience.  My animated and dramatic stories about each of the slides is another big draw, of course!  (JOKING! JUST JOKING ABOUT THAT!)

Bird-a-thon 2012 is going to be held on May 11th and 12th this year.  I know times are hard for everyone, but a donation of even a few dollars would be greatly appreciated.  Believe me, every little bit helps more than you could know. Click HERE to donate or click on the FirstGiving button on the top of the page. Thank you all so much for caring!