BIRDATHON

What is a birdathon?

It is like a walkathon or readathon, but instead of counting steps or books, we count birds! It is an opportunity to get outside, learn your birds and help raise funds for Cope Environmental Center. If counting the species you see doesn’t bring you joy, we’ve got other exciting ways to participate too! You can choose to challenge yourself to see how many bird species you can photograph or how many locations you can visit during the Birdathon!

Bird anytime from May 2 to May 18. Walk in your neighborhood, watch at your birdfeeders, search lakes and ponds, hike at places like Cope Environmental Center and Hayes Arboretum, or visit any bird hotspots in the country or world! Keep a checklist and seek sponsors who will donate money ($.25, $.50, $1.00, $2.00 or more!!!) per each distinct species of bird you see. Your sponsors will also have the option to make a one-time flat donation in your name for your effort. Each participant is asked to have at least one sponsor but the more the better!

Have the following information ready and click on the link below to get started! To create your personal PledgeIt account you will need:

• Your email address

• A password

• An estimation of how many species you hope to see

• An estimation of how much money you want to raise

• Photos to jazz up your account

Click here to Register or Pledge on PledgeIt!” https://charity.pledgeit.org/CECBirdathon2025

Listed below are the ways you can participate:

1. Be a Solo Birder: Bird on your own, count # of bird species seen
2. Local Team (anywhere in the Midwest), count # of bird species seen
3. Distant Team (anywhere in the world), count # of bird species seen
4. Bird Species Photographed, count # of bird species photographed
5. Locations Visited, count # of birding locations visited