The Expo Conservation Fund

The American Birding Expo isn’t just about enjoying birds; it’s about helping them, too. One of the fundamental purposes of the Expo is to promote conservation of wild birds and their habitats.

In its first two years the American Birding Expo raised more than $19,000 for the Expo Conservation Fund. These monies supported bird conservation and local environmental education. It has funded BirdLife International’s work to protect the critically endangered hooded grebe; helped the American Birding Association with their work on the threatened and declining rufa red knot; and supported urban environmental education in Columbus, Ohio (the site of the first two Expos), through the Grange Insurance Audubon Center.

Both globally and here in North America, many bird species are in trouble from habitat loss, climate change, pollution, competition from exotic invasive species, and many other threats. Those of us who care about birds can make a difference, and that’s what the American Birding Expo Conservation Fund is all about. At the third annual Expo, daily raffles—three of them—and a silent auction will allow Expo participants to take a chance or place a bid on birding optics, travel, gear, and many other items, with all proceeds going directly to bird conservation.

We’ll also have Expo Conservation Fund collection banks set up around the Expo venue so attendees can contribute spare change or a dollar or two. It adds up to a serious donation for a worthy cause: bird and habitat conservation.

Expo Conservation Fund Raffle and Silent Auction

Buy your tickets for the American Birding Expo’s daily raffle to support the Expo Conservation Fund! Take a chance on winning birding optics, bird art, a discount on a birding tour, or who knows what other prizes on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at the Expo. Expo exhibitors are eager to prove their commitment to helping birds by donating their goods and services to benefit the Expo Conservation Fund. Drawings will be at the end of vendor hours each day of the Expo. Raffle tickets will cost $5 each, or five for $20, and winners must be present at the time of drawing to claim their prize.

In addition, you can bid on big-ticket items at a daily silent auction, with winners to be determined each afternoon at the close of vendor hours. Top bidders must be present to claim their prize—and all bidders might want to stick around to make sure theirs is the top bid at the end of the day!

Raffles and silent auctions are exciting and fun, but their purpose is to raise money to support research, habitat acquisition, and other aspects of bird conservation. Every penny raised through the raffles and silent auctions will go to the Expo Conservation Fund, and will be donated to groups directly involved in protecting birds.