From Our Treasurer: Supporting LCAS—Reasons to Give

My travels this summer took me to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology near Ithaca, New York, where I was able to bird in renowned Sapsucker Woods near the lab. I also took a behind-the-scenes tour of the research facility itself, technically known as the Imogene Powers Johnson Center for Birds and Biodiversity. The center houses classrooms, a DNA sequencing lab, and a library containing the world’s largest collection of recorded natural sounds, including the songs, sounds, and calls of more than 5,600 species of birds!

Scientists at the lab not only conduct some of the most cutting-edge research on birds and their habitats but also teach students and others about the threats that birds and other wildlife face in response to climate change and environmental destruction taking place throughout the world.

My visit to the lab reminded me of the importance of the education and conservation work that Lane County Audubon Society does at the local level to keep birds and their habitats in our region safe (or at least safer) from these ever-increasing threats.

Your annual financial contribution allows us to offer classroom programs such as Audubon Adventures and Audubon in the Schools. Our letter-writing and awareness-raising campaigns cover a diversity of conservation issues. Monthly program meetings and bird walks offer information and camaraderie. All of these activities are geared toward helping our members and the general public become more informed about the birdlife in our area. You need only read through the pages of this issue of The Quail to learn more about the many things that LCAS does to protect birds and other creatures from the detrimental changes taking place all around us.

All of our efforts are the result of the work of volunteers. LCAS has no paid staff, so 100 percent of your tax-deductible gift goes toward the material costs associated with sustaining our education and conservation programs. Many of our supporters also choose to donate a bit extra to help us along at the same time as they start or renew their LCAS memberships. To make it even easier, this issue of The Quail has an envelope you can use to mail your gift. If you prefer to give online, you can do so at laneaudubon.org
/support/donate.

On behalf of the birds, we thank you for supporting our work.