Birdathon Beyond Arizona: Support Tucson Audubon from Around the World!
By Maia Stark Will you find a Palestine Sunbird on your Birdathon? photo by Michael Garber I first participated in the Tucson Audubon Birdathon when I was eight years old. I was fortunate enough to have David Bygott and Jeanette Hanby as neighbors and ready mentors, my mom’s support, and family friend Sandy Elers who first introduced me to it. One of my most amazing birding experiences was on a Birdathon when we glimpsed an Elegant Trogon deep in Sycamore Canyon. The fundraiser also gave me the opportunity to develop valuable writing and technology skills as I reached out to donors. I participated for five years, raising over $14,000 before my family moved to Kuwait (for my parents to teach at an international school). Living in the Middle East was an amazing experience that exposed me to foreign languages, cultures, and birds like the Eurasian Hoopoe and Palestine Sunbird. However, it was difficult to get to nature very frequently from the center of the city. After two years
