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ANNUAL REPORT 20231WELCOME FROM THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD 2PROGRAMS BAKER SANCTUARY 3 BLAIR WOODS NATURE PRESERVE 5 CHAETURA CANYON SANCTUARY 7 COMMONS FORD RANCH METROPOLITAN PARK 9 ADVOCACY 11 EDUCATION 13 BIRD CITY TEXAS 14 GROWING OUR FLOCK: INCLUSION & CONNECTION 15 PURPLE MARTIN PARTIES 16 TRAVIS AUDUBON BY THE NUMBERS 17PEOPLE – 2023 BOARD AND STAFF 19FINANCES FINANCIAL STATEMENT 20 OUR GENEROUS MEMBERS AND DONORS 21 OUR GENEROUS PROGRAM PARTNERS AND SPONSORS 25TRAVIS AUDUBON TIMELINE 27JOIN US! 29CONTENTSOUR VISION Inspire conservation through birding.OUR MISSION Travis Audubon promotes the enjoyment, understanding, and conservation of native birds through: • Inclusive environmental education • Habitat protection • Conservation advocacyThe remarkably quotable Turkish author Mehmet Murat Ildan once wrote that “wherever there are birds, there is hope.” He may have been reading Emily Dickinson, or he may have simply been expressing that on the wing, in a song, or in the glimpse of colorful warblers in springtime, there are no divisions. There is only universal enjoyment. Hope is a precious commodity in this world, and the growth of the birding community in Austin and Central Texas means that those who love birds are spreading hope and positivity all around us.Travis Audubon members, volunteers, and staff are ambassadors of hope in these changing times. In the past year our members donated more than 5,000 hours of their time maintaining our sanctuaries, leading field trips – 135 in all – and introducing people of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities to the pleasures of birding and the outdoors. Our new accessible trail at Blair Woods and our increasingly popular Let’s Go Birding Together walks are two of the latest examples of how we are working to extend the joy of birds and the hope they bring to more and more of us.In the past year, Travis Audubon grew another 13 percent, to more than 1,763 members. Our Victor Emanuel Conservation Award dinner raised more than $143,000 to promote conservation in our communities. Our Master Birder program continues to grow in popularity. Since its launch in 2016, 150 members have now been trained and are spreading their love for and knowledge of birds on beginner bird walks, our Youth Birding Camp, to school groups, and more.I want to thank everyone who has joined, contributed, or volunteered to help this vibrant organization advance its mission of promoting conservation through birding. Austin’s birders are among the most passionate and knowledgeable that you will find anywhere, and they are eager to share that passion and knowledge with anyone who picks up binoculars or makes their yard welcome to those that fly.On behalf of our Board of Directors, thanks for appreciating that hope is the thing with feathers, and for spreading our message of hope wherever our birding takes us.All the best,John BloomfieldPresident of the Board, Travis AudubonDEAR MEMBERS & FRIENDS2BAKER SANCTUARYWhen Travis Audubon purchased Baker Sanctuary’s original 94 acres back in 1966, we were the forerunner in Golden-cheeked Warbler (GWCA) conservation. Nearly six decades later, we remain deeply committed to the preservation of the species for future generations to experience. With a variety of education, public outreach, and management strategies, it is our hope that the GCWA will be enjoyed by many generations of birders to come.Baker Sanctuary saw a great deal of activity over the last year, ranging from Sanctuary maintenance and habitat restoration, public outreach and education, and biological monitoring and management. Baker was visited by 785 hikers who experienced the Sanctuary on their own as they explored the trails. An additional 565 folks visited in a group setting by attending organized public events such as the Baker Nature Day, Great Backyard Bird Count, or regularly-scheduled guided hikes. In addition to events hosted at Baker, approximately 95 students were served off-site during a presentation at Leander ISD’s Mason Elementary.A dedicated corps of volunteers makes the maintenance of the Sanctuary possible. Last year, 220 volunteers invested a total of 660 hours on projects ranging from brush management to trail maintenance to GCWA monitoring. Baker Sanctuary was also the fortunate recipient of four Eagle Scout Projects: one kiosk sign and six trail benches. Many thanks to Troops 234, 271, and 410 for all their hard work.333MOONLIT MIGRATIONSOn May 5th, nearly 100 guests joined us for a special evening under the full moon at Baker Sanctuary. Our first time doing an evening event of this size at Baker, the threat of an impending storm didn’t keep people away and a great time was had by all. Guests enjoyed sipping on signature drinks and noshing on food from Eldorado Café. Stations were set up around the property led by TAS volunteers to educate folks about Travis Audubon and all we do to keep the night skies safe for birds. A special glow-in-the-dark critter crawl, sky gazing with the Austin Astronomical Society, and sunset bird walks were offered, along with a raffle. Composer and jazz flutist, Alex Coke, and principal harpist of the Austin Symphony, Elaine Barber, performed a magical set at the Baker Cabin. An Eastern Screech Owl joined us up in the trees next to the Jackie Arnold Pavilion and kept guests entertained for the entirety of this wonderful, moonlit celebration!6455BLAIR WOODS NATURE PRESERVEBlair Woods, our 10-acre nature preserve in East Austin, is a site for both people and wildlife, and we were fortunate to receive a generous donation to complete construction of an accessible trail system to increase community access to nature. With the help of our corps of volunteers, vegetation was cleared to make way for new trails brought to life by Tim Eischen’s General Contracting. Improvements include a steel bridge leading from the picnic area to the loop circling the pond, an accessible ramp to the pollinator garden pavilion, and a second accessible parking spot located just inside the main entrance to the preserve. In March 2023, the trails were ready to explore. We were proud to host a trail warming and ribbon-cutting ceremony to officially unveil the new accessible trail system. Virginia Rose, the founder of Birdability and TAS Board Member, gave a heartwarming speech to commemorate this step toward making Blair Woods a place to be enjoyed by everyone. For the rest of the event, visitors enjoyed nature and history-themed guided walks, refreshments, and good company. Our community engagement consultant, Nicole Treviño, facilitated an engagement station in the barn to foster discussion on the future of Blair Woods. It was a wonderful afternoon with the community, newcomers, and old friends alike.To increase community awareness of the preserve, we prioritize throwing at least one family-friendly 3368open house each spring and fall. In fall 2022, we hosted a Beginners’ BioBlitz as part of the citywide Roots & Wings Festival. Dozens of Austinites, many of whom had never been to Blair Woods, joined us for a day of guided nature walks from local experts that focused on the diversity of life on the property. In spring 2023, we hosted a Nature Day that was a huge success thanks to our volunteers and nonprofit partners. Master Birders, UT Entomology, Austin Bat Refuge, and Travis County Master Gardeners joined us to offer guided walks, activities, and presentations for both kids and adults to enjoy.Throughout the summer, Blair Woods was a field trip site for the ATX Kids Club, Ortega Elementary, and Allison Elementary. Students learned about bird habitat and bird adaptations, the fundamentals of plant and tree identification, native Central Texas tree species, sources of pollution in urban environments, and a forest community’s food web. They did some hands-on tree ID in the preserve, crafted their own bird nests after viewing collected nests from the wild, and completed scavenger hunts and bingo games. Despite the heat, it was a really fun summer! THANK YOU TO OUR AMAZING BLAIR WOODS VOLUNTEERS!6PROGRAMSPrograms were back in full swing in the summer of 2022. However, winter brought a devastating ice storm that damaged a majority of the Juniper and Oak woodlands, making all but a few of the trails impassable. With the help of volunteers from the neighborhood, Capital Area Master Naturalists, and Hays County Master Naturalists, most of the trails were open in time for the annual Birdathon, Morning Canyon Crawls, and Birding by Ear workshops. RESEARCHResearch on Chimney Swift behavior continued with monitoring of the 19 towers on the Sanctuary. Monthly avian point counts and daily observations recorded 78 species for the year, including the first record of Northern Parulas. The total avian species recorded on the property to date stands at 173. HABITAT RESTORATION Habitat Restoration was dominated by the ongoing cleanup from the winter ice storm. The tree damage was so extensive that professional arborists were called in to handle the high canopy work along the public right-of-way and around the residence. An estimated 500 cubic yards of slash was hauled out to the road by volunteers to be picked up by Travis County contractors. Much work remains to be done but will not resume until the fall and after the nesting season.FUNDRAISINGFundraising for maintenance of the Sanctuary began with a fourth very successful Valentine’s Day appeal. In addition, Georgean created 35 exquisite Hummingbird vases as centerpieces for the in-person return of the Victor Emanuel Conservation Award Celebration. A special online silent auction for vases raised a record-breaking amount for Chaetura Canyon. After a three-year hiatus due to COVID-19, the ever-popular Chalupas and Chimney Swifts dinner returned in May 2023 to a sold out crowd. Lastly, the Chaetura Canyon Endowment Fund continued to grow, and the Canyon Champions Campaign was launched in August 2023.CHAETURA CANYON778Next >