World Series of Birding Contributions Will Be Matched 3 to 1!

WSB Team Dubbed Hackensack RiverCREEPERS

 

By Captain Hughie Carola

First of all, here’s how I hatched the goofy name: I took the river’s name and the name of a very elusive bird (the Brown creeper) and voila: Hackensack RiverCreepers!  On May 14, we’ll be creeping around the watershed between the hours of 4 a.m. and 9 p.m. during New Jersey Audubon Society’s 22nd Annual World Series of Birding (WSB). My teammates: Kerul Kassel (who is coming all the way from Florida!), Dave Kaplan, Ivan Kossak (our newest teammate) and I will be on the move from the New York state line to Newark Bay, counting birds and raising money to support the ongoing work of Hackensack Riverkeeper.

If you haven’t yet made the connection between counting birds and fundraising, here’s how it works: Good folks like you make a per-species pledge of 25¢, 50¢, a dollar, or whatever amount you wish on the form provided below. When the WSB is over and I get a good night’s rest, I’ll multiply our species count (our 4-year average is 105 species) by the amount you pledged and send you a letter with an SASE for your tax-deductible donation. Last year, we raised over $2,600 in pledges & donations thanks to people like you.

This year, that total should be significantly higher thanks to Hackensack Riverkeeper trustee Cathe Morrow and her husband, Jay, who will match contributions dollar-for-dollar, up to $5,000. But wait, that’s not all. There is a second anonymous contributor, who will also match all contributions (up to $3,000). That’s right, that means if your 25¢ per bird pledge works out to a $25 donation, you’ll send us $25 but Hackensack Riverkeeper will actually receive $75!

If your employer matches charitable donations, you could potentially turn this in to a 4 to 1 match! How cool is that? Be sure to send in any paperwork your employer requires.

In addition, Hackensack RiverCreepers are proudly sponsored by our friends at Shop Rite Supermarkets. Their corporate support allows us to participate as a Level One Team alongside some of the best birders in the world.

Finally, if our newest teammate’s name seems familiar, it’s because Ivan is not only a Hackensack Riverkeeper trustee; he’s also a regular Tidelines contributor with his Birds of the Hackensack feature (see later article). He’s a top-notch birder as well. Welcome aboard, Ivan!