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In The Big Year, no place is too remote for Owen Wilson, Jack Black and Steve Martin to travel in order to spot a rare bird. Sequoia Audubon Society takes a different approach to its fundraiser: members set up in one spot next to Pescadero Marsh, invite everyone to come, set out some goodies and start counting birds. The "funds" come when members and friends who've pledged, say, 10 cents (or $1 or more!) per species spotted pony up (and it's usually close to 100). Nice, right?
And there's the Big Sit Ride, now in its second year—a biking-birding journey around the gorgeous backroads near Pescadero (along lovely Cloverdale). Bring your bike, binocs, helmet, water and snacks and challenge the Big Sitters on the bird count! This is a great, green way to go birding. The riders will join the Sitters for the afternoon to compare results, chow down and swap big kingfisher stories. The ride starts at 7:30am and wraps up around 1pm.
Everyone's welcome to participate in this jolly twitchers' gabfest—as a spotter on a team, as a pledge donor, as a food-bringer and cheerleader, even as a pledge collector. According to the Sequoia Audubon website, "There will be a table with food and drink, and radios to listen to football and baseball playoff games, lots of people with cameras to take pictures of the birds and the birders. Be there! ... Anyone, of any skill level, can participate."
Proceeds help the club protect native birds through conservation, education and outreach in San Mateo County. Read more about it.
Big Sit: Pescadero Marsh, Pescadero State Beach, Hwy 1, Pescadero. 8am-5pm. Contact Jennifer Rycenga at gyrrlfalcon@earthlink.net for info.
Big Sit Ride: Meet at Gazos Creek Parking lot, Hwy 1 (about 14 miles north of Davenport and 8 miles south of the turnoff to Pescadero). 7:30am. Email Rob Furrow at robertfurrow@gmail.com for info.
Photo by Donna Pomeroy
