Chandler Roberts joined the Board in September in anticipation of taking over Birdathon on January 1. Taking over from Donna McCarty is a tough act to follow. However, Chandler is well-positioned to succeed. He has participated on the EcoLab Team for several years. Donna, the Birdathon Committee, and the Board have all pledged to do whatever they can for Chandler and Birdathon to succeed. We hope all of you will contribute to the continued success of Birdathon as well.
Chandler was born and raised in central Indiana. He currently lives in Avon with his wife, Hannah, and their two indoor cats, Waldo and Jinx. He attended Marian University where he received a Bachelor’s degree in Art History. He went on to earn a Master’s degree in Arts Administration. He worked for three years at the Nina Mason Pulliam EcoLab at Marian University as an assistant to the restoration ecologist. He interned at the Indiana Arts Commission and the Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites. Chandler currently works as a construction estimator for CRG Residential.
Chandler has been interested in birds and nature since he was a little kid. A White-crowned Sparrow showed up at his birdfeeder when he was a kid. He was fascinated by it and wanted to know more about them. He started to get more into birding during high school and began going to the Sunday morning Eagle Creek bird walks.
He bought his home in Avon two years ago. He likes to be outside in the garden or planting native plants. He is amazed at the 114 species he has seen in his one-third-acre suburban yard. One of his favorites are the Gray-cheeked Thrushes that visit the bird bath during migration. While it’s hard to pick a favorite bird, Chandler impressed by seeing “a pair of prehistoric-looking Jabiru in Costa Rica.” He loves to spend free time in Eagle Creek Park with Hannah where they bird, take photos, and kayak.
Chandler has enjoyed participating on the EcoLab Team for several years. In his words, “This year I heard that Donna was thinking about stepping down and a replacement was needed. I had made a personal goal for myself earlier in the year to start volunteering and this lined up perfectly with the need for a new Birdathon chair.” When asked about his goals for Birdathon, he states “I hope to continue and build upon the amazing legacy of Donna’s long service so the Birdathon can continue to be a great avenue for people to directly fund impactful conservation projects that will have a real, positive effect on our birds and ecosystems.”
We applaud Chandler’s willingness to volunteer in such an important role. Join us in wishing him all the best as he embarks on this new chapter for himself and Birdathon.