 Atlantic puffins at Maine Coastal Island National Wildlife Refuge. (Photo: ) |
Avian authorities and bird beginners will all agree that puffins are among the cutest creatures around. But the bird鈥檚 charisma is just one of the many reasons why 探花精选鈥檚 is so successful: With hard work and enthusiasm, the project has helped restore and sustain puffin and other seabird populations in Maine for almost four decades. To do so, Project Puffin鈥檚 small annual staff relies on the help and knowledge of volunteers and interns during the seabird breeding season. This summer, come rain or shine, 26 bright interns will hole up in tents and cabins on seven islands in Maine to conduct conservation work and research. But this work can鈥檛 continue without your help.
Key to the success of the island internship program is the annual , now in its 24th year. On May 31, along with volunteers and staff, Project Puffin鈥檚 26 interns will set out to tally as many puffin and bird species they can in 24 hours. Supporters can make single donations or pledge a dollar amount based on the number of species found by a specific team, either or by mailing . Money raised will cover the costs of supporting summer interns on the islands next year.
鈥淥ur goal is about $20,000,鈥 says Steve Kress, 探花精选鈥檚 vice president for bird conservation and the founder of Project Puffin. 鈥淚t will pay for food for the interns, transportation down to islands, for tents, and for scientific equipment.鈥
Kress adds the Birdathon not only raises money for the program, but gets new interns acquainted with the island.
鈥淲e do it to get the interns on the island and to raise money to make the internships possible,鈥 he says.
Beginning at midnight, participants will listen to migration calls and search for owls on the mainland. As dawn approaches, teams will head out to survey islands and coastal habitats. In past years, some 200 species and over 500 puffins were spotted.
鈥淓verybody is trying to see as many species of birds as we can,鈥 Kress says. 鈥淥ver this wide range of habitats we see a huge variety of birds, all of which are breeding birds at that time.鈥
The Contest
 Correctly guess the number of species tallied during the Birdathon and you鈥檒l win a limited edition lithograph by Swedish artist Karl M氓rtens. |
As part of the Birdathon, you can also enter a contest to win one of two great puffin prizes. While making a donation, guess the number of species and puffins the teams will collectively tally. Correctly guess the number of species and you鈥檒l win a limited edition, signed and numbered lithograph by Swedish artist Karl M氓rtens, pictured right. If you correctly guess the number of puffins, you鈥檒l win a Puffin Planter, signed and dated by artist Robert DuLong, pictured below.
To enter the contest without making a donation, simply download the pledge form and mail or fax your guesses to Project Puffin by May 31:
PROJECT PUFFIN
NATIONAL AUDUBON SOCIETY
P.O. BOX #265
ETNA, NY 13062-9901
FAX: 607-257-6231
 Correctly guess the number of puffins tallied at the Birdathon and you鈥檒l win this Puffin Planter by Robert DuLong. (Photo: Susie Meadows) |