Last year was the 20th anniversary of the AWBAS Birdathon and until this year, it was our second best effort ever ($26,189). In 2008 we blew the 2007 Birdathon out of the water! We raised an astounding $28,050! We were able to do this because of: the perennial DNR Team fundraising champs, an energetic new Wal-Mart Team, Team IBA, Indy Parks Team, Team Bishop, Team Nawrocki, EcoLab Team, the Carbon Neutral Team, the Accidental Shrikes, Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, the students from Indian Creek Elementary and Carmel Middle School, the proceeds from the 2007 silent auction, the Birdathon raffle, the pledges solicited by our corp of volunteers and our generous donors.

Here is where the funds will go:

$5000 for Audubon Indiana (Indiana Important Bird Areas Program)
• Grant to be used for (1) Printing and distribution of reports for Big Walnut NP and Fort Harrison State Park. (2) Publication new Indiana IBA web site. (3) Creation of a GIS database for all potential and recognized IBAs in the state. (4) Revision of the Indiana content on the National Audubon web site and database.

$5000 for the Eagle Creek Park Ornithology Center
• Grant to pay for the cost of taxiderming bird specimens. The birds will be mounted in exhibits depicting their natural habitat. They will be used in educational programs for school groups, families, ornithology classes, and research projects

$3000 for Operation Migration
• Grant to fund 20,000 copies of a booklet with a message of conservation and biodiversity to be distributed to school children nationwide

$1500 for the Indianapolis Lights Out Program
• Grant to fund publishing and distributing pertinent documents about the Lights Out program to building owners and managers, local businesses, potential conservation partners, and the Indianapolis media. The purpose is to persuade building managers to turn lights out at night to reduce the number of bird kills during migration.

$350 for Window on Wildlife
• Grant to fund renovating the Window on Wildlife at Southeastway Park by planting flowers, building and replacing bird feeders, replacing a pond pump, and removing weeds, trash, and debris.

$12,742 for the American Bird Conservancy/Pro Aves Cerulean Warbler Project
• The Cerulean Warbler project in Columbia entails the purchase of winter habitat in and adjacent to two newly established reserves and developing a Cerulean Warbler conservation corridor. 25 other neotropical migrants and critically endangered resident species also use the habitat.

Congratulations one and all who contributed toward making this Birdathon a resounding success!