The Biggest Week In American Birding Sponsorship Flock!

By all estimations, the Biggest Week In American Birding was a total success. The amount of positive feedback from this, our inaugural year, was tremendous! The number of new birders we generated was exactly the reward we all hoped for. ---and it was all made possible by some very generous support from our sponsors.

Their generous support from Leica Sport Optics provided the foundation we needed to pull off an event of this magnitude. Leica not only makes a superb product, they hire superb people as well. The team from Leica was phenomenal. Jeff Bouton and Cameron Cox were with us throughout the entire 11-day stretch, and Jeff Gordon and Laura Kammermeier were there through the early/soggy portion of the “week.” The team helped with every facet of the event. If there was a task that needed done, a Leica team member was there to offer a hand.

Ron Miller and Lynne Domokos and the entire staff at OurGuest Inn & Suites did so much for us that I hardly know where to begin. Ron and Lynne offered complete support of the “birding thing” right from the start. Their fast and furious support was such a huge dose of inspiration and we owe them a debt of gratitude.

The American Birding Association helped promote this event in a major way with extensive (and totally sexy) coverage in the January 2010 edition of BIRDING Magazine. The ABA held a board meeting and hosted their annual membership meeting in the area as well, helping to draw more participants from across the country.

Our friends at Schaffner Publications created, printed, and distributed 6000 copies of a beautiful Biggest Week visitors guide. They also offered tons of coverage in the local papers as well. A great spread in The Beacon featuring a gorgeous photo of a Black-throated Blue Warbler by Brian Zwiebel, brought people out to see what this birding thing was all about. Many thanks to John Schaffner and Angie Adair for their tremendous support.

If you picked up one of the Biggest Week registration packets, you were probably surprised to find a very special piece of “swag” inside. John Robinson donated 1000 copies of his wonderful and very important book, Birding For Everyone: Encouraging People of Color to Become Birdwatchers. John gave a program, led field trips, and signed copies of his book too.

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Birder’s World Magazine, and Eagle Optics, all offered generous support with promotions, advertising, and on the ground assistance as well. They also survived the “vendor pit” we attempted that quickly reminded us of why this area was historically referred to as The Great Black Swamp. We considered having a mud wrestling contest/fundraiser, but everyone chickened out because it was too cold. Oh well, maybe next year… ; )

Jen Brumfield designed our fabulous logo, the Ottawa County Visitors Bureau provided generous financial support (as well as donating many volunteer hours!), Time & Optics, Miller Boat Line, Bird Watcher’s Digest, Nikon Sport Optics, Brian Zwiebel, Marblehead Peninsula, Port Clinton, and Oak Harbor Chambers of Commerce, all supported the event in important ways as well.

Many bloggers participated and blogged about the event. Mike Bergin, of 10,000 Birds, gave his program, Around The World In 80 Blogs, and people loved it! Thanks to all the bloggers who shared the magic of this area through their sites.

And finally, to the communities along this remarkable Lake we call Erie…
Thank you for embracing this wonderful pastime and the birds that are at the center of it. Thank you for supporting the habitat these birds depend on for their survival and for understanding that, if we all work together, we can ensure that future generations will enjoy these winged wonders that captivate and fascinate us with their extraordinary colors, their beautiful songs, and the amazing journeys they endure each year…stopping by to delight us on the way.

Biggest Week In American Birding Recap

The dust is still settling (or perhaps I should say the mud is still drying!), but I wanted to thank everyone who joined us for the Biggest Week In American Birding. The official total for the event was 226 species, including highlights such as American White Pelicans, Upland Sandpipers, displaying Bobolinks and American Woodcocks, 37 of the 38 eastern wood warblers (the exception being the more southern-ranged Swainson's Warbler), one hybrid, the Brewster's Warbler, and of course, one very photogenic Kirtland's Warbler.

Some fun facts include: sales of more than 80 Ohio Wildlife Legacy Stamps, Federal Duck Stamps, and Jr. Duck Stamps (that's just from BSBO, not sure of numbers sold at Ottawa and Magee), 44 states represented in the event registration, and people visiting from Spain, Kenya, Guam, Japan, Ecuador, England, Canada, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden, Germany, Denmark, and Mexico; the Lake Erie Marsh Region was truly a melting pot during the event.
Some personal highlights for me were hearing many people say that the event had inspired them to come out and try birding for the very first time. One young mother, with two small children in tow, stopped back by BSBO to tell me that she had seen 14 species of warblers on her first time out. The festival also introduced hundreds (if not thousands) of birders to other great birding areas along the Lake Shore. BSBO handed out approximately 5000 free copies of birding area maps and directions to places like Mallard Club Marsh, East Harbor State Park, Toussaint Wildlife Area, and Oak Openings Preserve Metropark. It was great fun to have people stop back in to tell us how much they enjoyed exploring these other areas and sharing their sightings.

I cannot find the words to express our gratitude to the multitude of volunteers who made this event possible. Volunteers came from across Ohio, and from Texas, Florida, Colorado, Indiana, Illinois, California, and Michigan. It was truly the ultimate example of teamwork and I thank you all for the incredible effort you all put into this event. From driving busses to handing out registration packets, directing traffic and making copies of maps, serving hot coffee and acting as room monitors, volunteers led the charge and made the event fun for everyone. Thank you all, so much!
(Coming Soon...a tribute to the Biggest Week Volunteers!)

To our partners at Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge and the Ohio Division of Wildlife, thank you for taking on the additional work load of helping to organize and host this major event. All this in addition to the extraordinary work that you do to manage the habitat that plays a critical role in the survival of millions of migratory birds. I'm humbled by the work that you do.

To Kenn Kaufman and Kaufman Field Guides, a debt of gratitude for presenting NINE keynote talks, helping lead field trips, keeping the "Birding Pages" updated with predictions on migration, and of course, for finding the Kirtland's Warbler that delighted thousands of people on Friday.

To the volunteer guides from Tropical Birding, aka "The Dudes in the Yellow Caps," who volunteered their expert services during the Biggest Week, thanks for changing the lives of hundreds of beginning birders over the course of the last 11 days. Your expertise was evident and your enthusiasm infectious. It was a pleasure working with all of you.

To the staff at BSBO...omg, you are just the most remarkable people I will ever meet! I'm so proud to be a part of your team!

And finally, to Rebecca Hinkle and Delores Cole: It was an honor to work alongside you both during this long year of planning. I've learned so much, laughed so hard, and loved every minute of it. You two represent the reason why this event was such a success.

We'll be posting a more comprehensive summary of the event, bird and birder photos, and dates for next year's Biggest Week soon at: www.biggestweekinamericanbirding.com

The Biggest Week In American Birding

From the Warbler Capital of the World, Kimberly writes: The third annual Biggest Week In American Birding is almost here, and my team at Black Swamp Bird Observatory (BSBO) has been working like crazy to take care of every last detail.  What I've been focusing on is outreach to the local communities about the value and importance of birds and habitat conservation.  Leveraging all the buzz we've created about the number of birders that visit this area in spring, and the incredible economic impact visiting birders have on the region, I've been giving lots of presentations to all kinds of diverse groups, from rotary clubs to the Advertisers Club of Toledo.  This year, it really seems to be having a major impact.  

The communities are really beginning to embrace bird migration as one of the region's most unique assets and they're lending their support and endorsements in some very special ways.  
For instance, the world-famous Toledo Mud Hens baseball club created a special "BIRDS" coupon, and for every ticket sold during the month of May using this coupon, or ticket purchased online using the code "BIRDS," the Mud Hens will donate $1 to BSBO!  So, if you live in NW Ohio or you're here visiting during May, please go see a ballgame at this beautiful ballpark, cheer on the Hens, and help show them that birds and birders are a BIG DEAL! Make sure you use the special coupon, or use the code "Birds" to order tickets online. Please click on this link to see the amazing poster the Mud Hens made to advertise their support. It's a beauty!

http://www.bsbo.org/pdf/Mud_Hens_Ad_2012.pdf

Here's the team's website for directions to the ballpark and more information about the Mud Hens: http://www.milb.com/index.jsp?sid=t512

And there's more!  
Inspired by The Biggest Week In American Birding, the Toledo Museum of Art proudly unveils their FOR THE BIRDS exhibit this Friday, April 13th at 5:30 PM.  Curated by Paula Reich, curatorial projects and publications manager, the exhibition opens to the public on April 13 and continues through Sept. 2 in Gallery 18. 


Birds have appeared in works of art throughout human history, starting with prehistoric cave paintings. Artists have continued to be fascinated by these feathered creatures, depicting them for their symbolic significance, as scientific specimens, for their expressive qualities, and simply for their beauty. Admission to the exhibition and to the Museum is free. Museum parking is free for members and $5 for nonmembers. For more information about the exhibit, check out this link. 
http://bsbo.org/pdf/For_the_Birds_Press_Release_032012.pdf


Isn't it great to see communities embracing and celebrating birds at this level?! 


Biggest Week registration is still open - and for the very reasonable $25 registration fee, you get multiple, guided walks every day at Magee Marsh Wildlife Area and Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge, a big bag of Biggest Week goodies, and lots of great discounts at local businesses if you show your festival name tag.  


Kenn and I hope you'll come to visit this spring and go birding with us.  It's really a special place and we'd love to share it with you.  

Like birds? Then you're sure to like this!
This fabulously fun video features people who really like birds!  The video was filmed during the Biggest Week in American Birding.  Directed by Birds & Blooms magazine and produced by Cornell Lab of Ornithology, it is sure to bring a smile to your face.  Enjoy!

AWESOME BIRD VIDEO!