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By now, you may have heard the discouraging news, first published in the journal Science, about severely declining bird populations. When our members hear these reports, they often ask: How can I make a difference?

Among many possible answers (see page 2), two short ones are especially important. First, vote, and, second, support Lane County Audubon Society.

Your opportunity and duty to vote—both locally and nationally—occurs periodically, and you can show your support for birds by voting for individuals and initiatives that align with LCAS’s mission and values.

Another thing you can do is to support LCAS. While we welcome donations at any time, we limit our fundraising appeal to the November issue of The Quail, when we ask members to make a tax-deductible donation, large or small, to fund our education and outreach programs. We are an all-volunteer, nonprofit organization and have no paid staff members, so all funding goes directly toward the material costs of running our programs. In addition to their gift, many LCAS members choose to renew their local memberships at this time, too.

LCAS believes that education is critical in raising awareness about the value and importance of birds, so we have two robust school programs run by energetic volunteers: Audubon in the Schools and Audubon Adventures. Nine times a year, we offer an evening program with talks by experts who focus on birds and conservation. We stage monthly bird walks to local hotspots to help our members identify and learn about the birds that grace our area. Each year at the end of December, hundreds of local birders turn out for the annual Christmas Bird Count. The data collected on that day are used by researchers to track bird populations at the local, national, and international level.

For the past several years, LCAS has been a major sponsor of the Willamette Valley Bird Symposium at Oregon State University, where scientists from throughout the region report on their state-of-the-art research. This fall, LCAS is hosting a meeting of the Oregon Audubon Council, where board members from Audubon chapters throughout the state gather to identify and act on the most pressing statewide needs for bird conservation and education.

That’s just a small sampling of the ways your gift to LCAS helps birds thrive. Please use the envelope in this issue to mail your gift, or visit laneaudubon.org/support/join to give online. Thank you for caring about birds and their continued well-being.