2022 Fall Fundraiser

Coming together for birds!

Our 2022 fall fundraiser, A Night for the Birds, was an incredible success. It was an amazing celebration of conservation achievements in 2022. With your help we raised over $120,000 to support our mission of conserving birds and their habitats through science, education and land stewardship.

Thank you for joining us and making the night one to remember!

The Richard G. Levad Award was presented at our fall fundraiser to Dr. Brian Linkhart, seen here with Executive Director Tammy VerCauteren and Karen Levad

Thank you to Denver Museum of Nature and Science for hosting the fundraiser and to our sponsors for making this evening possible!

Building community and convening bird lovers are vital parts of the Bird Conservancy mission. Our supporters are intellectually curious individuals with a craving for new experiences and knowledge. In 2022 we provided plenty of opportunities for the community to join together in the field and beyond.

Our supporters joined us for single day field trips at Barr Lake State Park, Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Refuge, and Poudre River Open Space, to name a few. A small group enjoyed an exciting multiday trip to Chico Basin Ranch and Manitou Experimental Forest where they learned about grassland and forest conservation and spotted a few amazing bird species along the way.

We also launched a new social event series, Thirsty Bird Happy Hours, in the spring of 2022. Each Thirsty Bird Happy Hour is hosted at a different brewery in Fort Collins and offers a chance for our supporters to raise a glass with Bird Conservancy staff.

If you would like to join us, you can find upcoming events on our event calendar. You can also email Joe Pettit for more information.

–Donor Profile–

For Bird Conservancy of the Rockies Friends Kathryn and Tim Ryan, nature and conservation in the American West have always had a big role in their lives. Kathryn spent her youth in Oklahoma with regular summer trips to Colorado which eventually led to a permanent relocation to the state following college. The Gulf Coast of Texas was home for Tim where he developed an interest in nature through family camping trips to the West’s national parks and a specific appreciation for birds through duck and goose hunting.

Kathryn and Tim’s interest in birds and Bird Conservancy of the Rockies really took flight in 2017 when they were presented with the opportunity to host a bird banding station in their backyard as part of Nestwatch, a collaborative program designed by the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center that Bird Conservancy partnered with the Denver Museum of Nature and Science on to bring to Denver. The program takes biologists and educators to people’s backyards to gather scientific data about birds, train community scientists, and provide homeowners with opportunities to make connections to “their” birds through Colorado banding. Bird Conservancy’s longtime bander, Meredith McBurney, operated the station for three days per summer for three consecutive years.

“It was thrilling and so rewarding. I called Meredith every year after when I spotted one of our banded birds at my feeder. I IDed the same banded black capped chickadee for 5 years. Meredith’s passion grabbed me and I have taken advantage of Bird Conservancy birding opportunities ever since”

Kathryn and Tim are frequent guests on our outings throughout Colorado, joining trips to Chico Basin Ranch, San Luis Valley, Manitou Springs, and Barr Lake to name a few. Although the most special trips have been of their own making. On multiple occasions, the couple has hosted Bird Conservancy guests and staff for birding at their ranch on the Arkansas River near Lamar, CO. “Arvind Panjabi (Senior Research Scientist) has been a most enjoyable guide with his amazing knowledge of birds and a pleasant way of imparting his knowledge of birds, expertly identifying them not only by sight but by ear as well. It is an amazing experience to be in the field with him and learn even a fraction of his bird lore.” says Tim.

Kathryn and Tim’s involvement goes well beyond birding outings. Their interest in the science and stewardship of bird conservation has led them to dive deep into our programs and develop special relationships with staff. “I am a huge fan of Tammy VerCauteren, who as Executive Director oversees the direction of the organization. She also created and led the Central Grasslands Summit that gathered stakeholders from state and federal agencies, NGOs, scientists, agricultural corporations, Native American tribes and ranchers – from Mexico, Canada and the USA. I sat in on a day of the meeting and was fascinated to hear all the different viewpoints as they discussed the problems and solutions to help grassland birds.” says Kathryn.

The Ryan’s generosity has touched every aspect of our organization. Their philanthropic impact is seen in our Private Land Wildlife Biologist program, Central Grasslands Roadmap, research and beyond. The wisdom, insight, and passion they have for learning is inspirational. They consistently bring friends and family to events and are ambassadors with everyone they meet. Bird Conservancy of the Rockies is so grateful for the Ryan’s and their investment and leadership in conserving birds and their habitat.

Thank you to all donors of every amount including those donors who wish to remain anonymous.
Your gifts make a difference! 

GOLDEN EAGLE SOCIETY MEMBERS

We are honored to be included in the estate plans of the following donors and appreciate the opportunity to be part of their legacies.

Anonymous (5)
Charles Bell
Kevin Bliss
Charles Chase
Victoria Collier
Martha Dick
Deborah Hagood
Katherine Holland
Barb Holme
Kathanne Lynch
Meredith McBurney
Larry Modesitt
Jean Morgan
Randy and Nancy Morgan
Thomas Parchman
Robert Righter
D. Jean Tate
Ed Warner and Jackie Erickson
Katheryn Whitesides-Grubb