Donate

I will be fundraising on behalf of two organizations, The Conservation Fund and the American Birding Association. All donations will be collected through an online portal hosted by The Conservation Fund. None of the donations will touch my hands. The Conservation Fund will receive 80% of the total funds raised; The American Birding Association will receive 20%. Information on these organizations and the specific conservations projects for which I will be raising money can be found below.

DONATE: Click on the BIG GREEN BOX at the top right of this page! 

Your donation will not be credited towards the specific projects for which I am raising money unless you use the BIG GREEN BOX at the top right of the screen!

The Conservation Fund is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that has led land conservation efforts for nearly 30 years. During this time, they have protected more than 7 million acres across America, from the park down the street to historic battlefields, wild areas and favorite destinations of all kinds. They work hand-in-hand with community and government leaders, businesses, landowners, conservation nonprofits and other partners to save the places that matter most.

The American Birding Association is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that provides leadership to birders by increasing their knowledge, skills, and enjoyment of birding. They are the only organization in North America that specifically caters to recreational birders. They also contribute to bird and bird habitat conservation through our varied programs.

Here are the conservation projects into which The conservation fund will funnel money that I raise.

Fowler Beach on the Delaware Bay, Delaware. These properties are adjacent to the Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge.  Acquiring the coastline between the refuge and the Delaware Bay has been a top priority for the Prime Hook Refuge for many years. The Fowler Beach properties provide a unique opportunity to effectively secure three miles of coastline along the Delaware Bay. This coastline provides critical habitat for migratory shorebirds including the imperiled Red knot and excellent spawning grounds for the horseshoe crab.  Protecting the properties also eliminates threats of development adjacent to the refuge and enhances existing wildlife habitat at Prime Hook.

     Johnson Tract, Sugarloaf Key, Florida. This 1312-acre tract is the largest private ownership within the Florida Keys. It contains some of the nation’s most imperiled natural communities and is home to numerous listed species including Key Deer, Lower Keys marsh rabbit, White-crowned pigeon, Mangrove cuckoo, American crocodile, West Indian Manatee, and at least two species of sea turtle. Surrounded by conservation lands, the Johnson tract has been a high priority for state and federal agencies for years. Protection of this large undeveloped tract will help reduce development pressure in the Keys and prevent the negative impacts to water quality that would result from development.

Kanapaha Prairie, Alachua County, Florida. Kanapaha Prairie is a 685-acre property near Gainesville, Florida, owned by The Conservation Fund. It is part of a unique system of freshwater marshes in north central Florida which form the critical wintering ground for an abundance of migratory birds including Sandhill and Whooping cranes, Wood stork, and Bald eagles. The Conservation Fund is trying to restore the prairie to a more natural condition using cattle as a management tool. To reach this goal, the Fund will implement the steps recommended in the grazing plan prepared by Natural Resource Conservation Service. These recommendations include, but are not limited to, fencing off the major wetlands to protect water quality and prevent tramping, and the installation of one or two water wells as alternative water sources.

Cade Ranch, Galveston County, Texas. This tract includes 2,614 acres of wetlands, tidal flats, ponds, and three miles of Gulf of Mexico beachfront on the largest remaining undeveloped tract on storm-prone Bolivar Peninsula of Texas. Cade Ranch is owned by a commercial developer who had marked it for a beachfront retreat and marina prior to Hurricane Ike in 2008. Acquisition of this land will eliminate the potential for habitat destruction and protect it for migratory waterfowl, shorebirds, wading birds, and landbirds. Following its purchase by TCF, Cade Ranch will be conveyed to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to become part of the Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge. In 2013 TCF acquired the first 1,350 acres of Cade Ranch.  In 2014, we intend to acquire additional acreage as funding allows.

California project information coming in the next few days, please stay tuned.