Hi All,
Recently I heard about an initiative called Pledge to Fledge (P2F). In its most basic form it is an attempt to get new people who might not otherwise be reached interested in nature and birds specifically. All birders are encouraged to take non-birding friends birding with them on the weekend of August 24th-26th. To add some structure to the event different people have been assigned to regions to manage (essentially plan walks in those areas). This regions coordinator is Bill Stewart (DOS Conservation Chair). Bill can only deal with some of the region though, and so he asked me to lead a walk somewhere around Baltimore.
To that end I have scheduled a bird walk at North Point State Park on Sunday, August 26th at 9 am. It will probably go for about two hours, but there is no set ending time. I chose that location because the trails are pretty short and the location usually yields good views of some nice (albeit common) birds. This walk is geared towards new and non-birders, but it can't work without some of the experienced birders attending too. The idea is that birders who come will bring non-birders with them. So, if anyone is interested in coming, there are two things they should do: one is email me to let me know and get any additional info you may need and then try and convince some of your non-birding friends to come with you.
I have attached the original email I got about this below for anyone who like the link to P2F's website and other more detailed information about the initiative.
Good Birding!
Mike H.
Baltimore City
Recently, a small group of us has been working to put together a new
global birding initiative _www.pledgetofledge.org_
(http://www.pledgetofledge.org/)
The goal is to popularize the sport of birding worldwide. We believe the
best way to do this is to ask passionate birders to spread the word to
non-birders and take them out birding. We're going to dedicate two weekends a
year to encourage birders to take a neighbor, a friend, family member,
local kid or anybody else out birding - 'fledging' a new birder! By getting
more people to appreciate birds, we can encourage more people to support
bird conservation at the local/regional and worldwide level.
The kick-off weekend is set for August 24-26th 2012. This event aims to
unite people and organizations in birding and conservation. The success of
this movement will depend on one thing, YOU. We can all take one person
out birding. Pledge to Fledge will provide the social network to share your
story, photos and videos with others, making an even bigger impact.
Please join us on August 24-26th 2012 to make a difference.
Dave Magpiong, Richard Crossley, Danielle and Michelle Mohilef, Keith
Barnes
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