The Potomac Valley Audubon’s Birdathon is named in honor of Ruth Ann Dean, who was a founding member and ardent supporter of PVAS, a Board member in the early years, and an avid birder.

In 2019, the Potomac Valley Audubon Society is sponsoring its tenth annual “Ruth Ann Dean Memorial Birdathon” during the weekend of May 11th and 12th.

• Register HERE to participate in the Birdathon.
• Make a Birdathon donation or sponsor a team or individual HERE.
• For more information, including rules and prizes, go HERE.

Gather a team and see how many birds you can see within PVAS’s service area (Berkeley, Jefferson, Morgan Counties in WV and Washington County, MD). Team categories this year include Birdathon, Big Sit, Family, and Youth.

The Birdathon is open to all members of the public. Birdwatchers at all levels of experience or expertise are invited to participate. Teams will compete to identify the highest numbers of bird species they find anywhere, within any 24-consecutive-hour-period during the weekend of May 11th & 12th.

For the Big Sit, individuals identify, or a team identifies, all birds they can see from within a 50-foot diameter circle of your choosing within the 24-consecutive-hour-period. They could choose their back porch, a circle within their backyard, or a 50 foot circle within a place they like to bird. They can invite friends and family to join them within the circle and make it a special event.

Winners of the Birdathon and Big Sit will be announced in the PVAS newsletter and at the June 1 PVAS membership meeting at Yankauer Nature Preserve. There will be prizes for most birds seen and most money raised in categories for traditional Birdathon, Big Sit, family category, and kids only.

There is no entry fee, however this event is a fundraising effort, as participants are asked to take donations or pledges, on behalf of their team.

All funds raised will support the Chimney Swift Tower PVAS has installed at Shepherd University. Find out more about PVAS’s “Raise the Roost”campaign, which seeks to restore Chimney Swift roosting habitat on Shepherd University’s campus.

Contact Krista Hawley at adultprograms@potomacaudubon.org or (681) 252-1387 with any questions you may have about the 2019 Birdathon.