Notes about your surroundingsBirdathon Starts--South Coast Audubon,...

Notes about your surroundings

Birdathon Starts--South Coast Audubon, a chapter of the National Audubon Society, will be holding its annual birdathon this weekend and next.

Janet Bales, who is in charge of this year’s birdathon, says the event is one of the chapter’s major fund-raisers.

Six teams, each made up of two to five South Coast Audubon members, will go out for any part of a selected 24-hour period and count as many different species as they can.

“We go to as many places as we can, trying to find as many different habitats as possible,” Bales says.

Some donors sponsor a team, while others sponsor a team or the chapter as a whole.

For those who are pledging a donation, Bales says that in the past up to 100 species have been spotted by a team.

All donations will be used for programs sponsored by the National Audubon Society and are tax-deductible.

Half of the contributions will go to national and regional causes, such as wetlands preservation at Starr Ranch Audubon Sanctuary, while the other half goes to South Coast Audubon for such projects as the classroom “Audubon Adventures” program and the planned wildlife viewing platform.

Bales says the chapter hopes to raise at least $3,000 through the event. Audubon society chapters across the country are expected to raise $2 million through the birdathons.

If you want to sponsor a bird-watcher or team, or want to make a donation to South Coast Audubon, contact Bales at (714) 499-1929.