Malkolm's
Bird Year |
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| Bird
Year - an epic 10,000 mile journey, from Alaska to Florida,
by a remarkable young man, Malkolm and his parents, Ken and
Wendy, to raise awareness of fossil fuel-free transportation
and conservation through bird watching. |
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| Malkolm
and Wendy Boothroyd travel on the Stewart-Cassiar Highway in
Northern British Columbia, early in their Bird Year adventure.
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| Quick
links on this webpage about Malkolm |
| Background
information on Malkolm's Bird Year
(see below: Malkolm's Epic Journey) |
| Malkolm's
Bird Day Challenge |
| Schedule
of events for Malkolm's visit to Orange County |
| Links
to Malkolm's Bird Year webpage: |
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Malkolm's
Epic Journey
by Scott Thomas, Conservation Director
of Orange County |
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| In June, 2007, 15-year
old Malkolm, inspired by Mark Obmarsik’s book “The
Big Year” embarked on a 10,000 mile bike ride, stretching
from Alaska to Florida in search of birds. Malkolm, already
an avid birder with an impressive life list, convinced his parents
Ken and Wendy to take a year long trip on bicycles, looking
for new birds while promoting fossil-fuel-free transportation. |
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| October 1st, Malkolm
and family are scheduled to reach Orange County. Sea and Sage
Audubon will meet them on Pacific Coast Highway near Seal Beach.
They will be leaving the company of Los Angeles Audubon, who
will have already hosted them for several days of riding and
birding in Los Angeles County. We, Sea and Sage Audubon and
friends, will be taking Malkolm to some of our special birding
locations along the coast, such as the San Joaquin Wildlife
Sanctuary. |
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| Malkolm’s
vision and journey has sparked enthusiasm and support from the
birding world. The “Bird Year” website http://www.birdyear.com
quotes David Allen Sibley’s (author of the Sibley Field
Guide to Birds) comments about Malkom’s Bird Year, “I
am excited to hear about your epic adventure! When I was in
high school in Connecticut I daydreamed about doing something
similar when I graduated, but ended up with a van, camping in
good birding areas and using my bike for daily transportation.
I just checked out your website and it looks like your goal
of raising awareness is already well underway- congratulations!”
David Sibley has also agreed to be the featured birder for “Bird
Day Challenge”. See the Bird Year webpage link for information.
(http://www.birdyear.com)
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| About
Malkolm: At 15 years old you might be wondering,
well how does a kid take off for a year, what about school?
Well, this was not just a whimsical spur of the moment plan.
Malkolm caught onto the fossil-fuel-free movement some time
ago. And to get ready for this trip he made a commitment to
literally cram three years of school into two years. In 2006,
and 2007, he completed enough extra coursework to account for
a years worth of schooling, allowing for the June 2007-June
2008 trip. |
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| Bird
Year: This was Malkolm’s idea to adapt
the “Big Year” concept to a long bike ride. Malkom
hopes to see 400 birds in twelve months, on his journey across
North America. We will be planning a few outings for Malkom
while they are here, to places such as the SJWS and San Onofre
State Beach, hopefully adding some new and interesting birds
to his list. |
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| The
Journey: Roughly 10,000 miles from Alaska to
Florida, it boggles the mind to consider the logistics and distance.
Much of the trip will follow the coast until they reach San
Diego where they will cut inland a bit and head for the Salton
Sea, a natural destination for birders. From there they will
head towards the deserts of Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. |
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| The family is funding
the trip themselves, but they do appreciate hosts along the
way. Audubon California has asked chapters that are able to
lend support and host them as they pass through our areas. Support
in the way of donations can be made in behalf of Malkolm, to
bird conservation organizations, on their website. |
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| While
They Are Here: We will be hosting Malkolm and
the family while they are in Orange County, taking birding trips
with them and riding along as they pass through. |
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| We need birders
and field trip leaders to join at places such as Bolsa Chica,
Huntington Beach Wetlands, Newport Back Bay, Crystal Cove and
San Onofre. |
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| We also want to
ride along with them. Check this page for details about short,
very short, and long ride-along routes and dates. |
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| On Tuesday, October
2nd, Malkolm, Ken and Wendy will be staying in the Huntington
Beach area. We will be birding, biking, and enjoying other outdoor
fossil-fuel-free activities with them. |
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| Tuesday
evening, October 2nd: Ken, a well known conservationist
and accomplished speaker, will be giving a Powerpoint presentation
about their trip at our monthly Conservation Committee Meeting
at 6:30 pm on Tuesday, Oct. 2nd, at the Muth Center in Upper
Newport Bay. For more information on this presentation, contact
Scott Thomas at
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| For
More Info, visit the Bird Year website: http://www.birdyear.com |
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Malkolm's
Bird Day Challenge |
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| 1.
Plan to devote one day (or part of a day) in the spring of 2008
to birding while reducing your use of fossil-fuels. |
2.
Ask your friends to sponsor you to raise money
for bird conservation (Please choose a worthy
local conservation initiative or you can direct funds to our
chosen conservation projects ). |
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Email us with your plans.(
) Tell us: |
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Where
you'll go birding |
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How you will
travel |
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Where you'll
donate the $$ you raise. |
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| 4.
After your Bird Day, email us (
) and tell us what happened. Sponsors have donated great prizes
for participants in many categories — not just for most
birds seen! |
| 5.
If you are unable to take part in the Bird Day Challenge yourself,
please sponsor David Allen Sibley who is our "feature birder."
It’s simple: |
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Make
a donation to either one of our US or Canadian bird conservation
projects on David's behalf. (http://www.birdyear.com/Sponsor/Sponsor_Us.html)
Of course if you have another worthy conservation charity
you'd like to support, please do so. Then email us to
let us (
) know and we'll enter you in a prize draw. |
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If you think
it would be fun to sponsor David on a "per bird"
basis, please email us (
) and tell us what your sponsorship will be (ie 50 cents
per bird or whatever you wish). After David's "bird
day challenge" we'll let you know what your total
is. |
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| Here is the link
to PROFILES of some of our participants
(http://www.birdyear.com/Protect%20Birds/BigDay_profiles.html)
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| Prizes
include: artwork, Bird-Jam (bird-song identification
products), bird photography, previously-thought-to-be-extinct
bird-theme socks, a hand-knitted qiviut toque — and more
to come. Check here for details. (http://www.birdyear.com/Protect%20Birds/Prizes.html
) |
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| Some
Ideas:
Do it alone, with a few friends or with a group. You don’t
need to be an expert birder or a super-athlete. The only rule
is that you set your own rules (although fun is outlawed). |
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Sit
on your front porch and count the birds that come to your
feeder. |
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Paddle down
a river, along the coast or around a lake. |
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Cycle, hike,
skate, climb or swim to your favorite birding spots. |
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Car pool or
use public transport. |
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| Do
as many
reduced fossil-fuel (or fossil-fuel-free) Big Days as
you like, but try to plan one for sometime during the
spring migration of 2008. Most participants will choose
dates between Earth Day (April 22, 2008) and International
Migratory Bird Day (May 10, 2008), but any day in the
spring of 2008 is great. |
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| Our
own challenge is to find participants
in every state in the US, every province and territory
in Canada — and every continent on Earth. You can
help. Please ask your friends. We are just beginning the
one-year countdown to the Bird Day Challenge |
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| Bird
Year Headline News |
| David Allen Sibley
to be "feature birder" in the Bird Day Challenge |
| David
Allen Sibley, author of the Sibley Guide to Birds, recently
told Malkom that he would be honored to be the feature
birder for the Bird Day Challenge. People
who are unable to to do "Bird Day" of their
own will be able to sponsored David. All of the money
raised will go directly to bird conservation. |
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| David
Sibley says, "I am excited to hear about your
epic adventure! When I was in high school in Connecticut,
I daydreamed about doing something similar when I graduated,
but ended up with a van, camping in good birding areas
and using my bike for daily transportation. I just checked
out your website and it looks like your goal of raising
awareness is already well underway — congratulations!" |
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Sea
and Sage Audubon Hosts Bird Year |
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PLEASE
HELP US SUPPORT THIS EFFORT.
Join
us in one or more of the following
Sea & Sage Birding and/or Biking Events:
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Los Cerritos Wetlands Conservation
and Meet Malkolm Birding Field Trip
– Monday, Oct. 1st (10AM
to Afternoon) – Gum Grove Park in Seal Beach
– See
field trip
page for full information on this special joint field
trip with El Dorado Audubon. |
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PCH/H.B. Ride-Along:
Oct. 1st - (1:00 pm to approximately
4 pm) Moderate ride with Malkolm and Family -12
mile ride from Los Cerritos Wetlands near PCH to Bolsa
Chica, continuing on to Huntington City Beach on the Bike
Path. Departs from Gum Grove Park |
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Birding
with Malkolm at Bolsa Chica: October
1st (2:00 - 3:00 pm) -
Meet in the parking lot near the boardwalk at Bolsa Chica.
(Bolsa Chica Ecological Preserve parking lot is between
Seapoint and Warner in Huntington Beach.) |
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Huntington Beach Bike Cruise:
Oct. 1st (3:00 - 4:00 pm) -
Short and Easy Ride: Join the Ride-Along on a 5-6 mile
section of the Huntington Beach Bike Path, from Bolsa
Chica to the Pier area. Beach Cruisers & all types
of bikes encouraged! Afternoon ride departs at 3:00 pm
after the Bolsa Chica bird walk. |
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Huntington to Newport Bike
Ride: Oct. 2nd (Departs
8:00 am. Ride is from 8 - 10 am) Moderate to Difficult
with some hills. Distance 10+/- miles from Huntington
City Beach to Upper Newport Bay on PCH. |
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Kayaking and Birding in
Upper Newport Bay: Oct.
2nd (11:00 am - 2:00 pm). Space
limited on this trip. RSVP to Scott Thomas
. Meet at 10:45 at Newport
Aquatic Center at North Star Beach. |
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Birding
and Reception at San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary:
Oct. 2nd (3:00 - 4:00 pm) |
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Conservation Meeting with
Special Presentation by Ken, Wendy and Malkolm:
Oct. 2nd – (6:30 pm) at the Muth Interpretive
Center in Newport Beach . Please RSVP Scott Thomas -
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Bike
Ride out of Orange County:
Oct. 3rd – Exact route and times to be announced.
This part of the trip will be difficult and lengthy, possibly
strenuous. Details to come. |
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To make a donation to defray
Sea & Sage Audubon's hosting costs, send
a check payable to "Sea and Sage Audubon" and
note that it is for the "Bird Year." Mail to:
Sea & Sage Audubon, PO Box 5447, Irvine CA 92616. |
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| Contact:
Scott Thomas for Information about Birding Trips, to Sign-Up
for a Bike Ride, or to add You, and/or Your Group, as
an Orange County Sponsor
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