What's a Birdathon?  It's observing as many kinds of birds as possible, by sight or sound, during a 24-hour period in order to raise money for environmental conservation.

This winter Bob and Maggie Honig, Katy Prairie Conservancy (KPC) supporters, avid bird watchers, and naturalists, will do a Birdathon on KPC's historic, 6500-acre Warren Ranch.  

Why are they doing this?  To raise money to ensure the conservation of the Warren Ranch as open space and to increase awareness of the importance of the ranch to the Katy Prairie ecosystem.

The Warren Ranch occupies a critical geographic position among protected lands on the Katy Prairie, broadly linking KPC's eastern and western lands into a contiguous whole.  The contiguous nature of the protected lands on the Katy Prairie is an essential factor in maximizing their ecological value - for birds, for other wildlife, and for the public who get to enjoy recreational opportunities on the Katy Prairie.

We need your help to make permanent protection a reality.  When KPC acquired a majority interest in the Warren Ranch in 2004, it also acquired a very large mortgage.  The ranch will not be permanently protected until the mortgage has been eliminated.  Every $3,000 we raise pays off the mortgage on one more acre.

You can help by making a financial pledge to support Bob and Maggie's Birdathon (either per species of bird or a flat amount).  

How does it work?  Let's say that you pledge $10 per species.  If Bob and Maggie document 75 species in their 24-hour Birdathon, your contribution would be $10 times 75 species or $750.  Or you can decide to donate a flat amount - say $50 - to ensure the success of Bob and Maggie's Birdathon.  Contributions at all levels are welcome - every bit helps!

By November, wintering birds will have returned to the prairie so you can expect that Bob and Maggie will observe a variety of ducks, geese, hawks, and sparrows.  Bob and Maggie will visit grasslands, agricultural fields, woodlots, hedgerows and treelines, ponds, Warren Lake (a reservoir on the ranch), wetlands, drainages, and the ranch residence/headquarters area to observe the different bird species found in the various habitats on the ranch and thus maximize their species count, and in turn maximize funds raised.  Please look for more information in late summer or early autumn.  We will let you know how to pledge and other details about KPC's Birdathon for the Warren Ranch.


Mary Anne Piacentini