The Fourth Annual Breeding Bird Blitz for Conservation, hosted by the Pennsylvania Society for Ornithology, is seeking nonprofit organizations that support the conservation of Bird Species of Greatest Conservation Need in Pennsylvania.

The deadline for applications is March 1.

Selected organizations will be identified as partners with Pennsylvania Society for Ornithology in the 2024 event and receive an equal share of the funds raised.

It is anticipated that the event will raise close to $20,000, resulting in contributions of more than $6,000 to three organizations.

PSO will fund projects focusing on bird safe habitats, conservation education, conservation monitoring and science, and threat mitigation.

Conservation project leaders are invited to visit and apply to become a Blitz partner by filling out the online application.

Media inquiries about the Breeding Bird Blitz for Conservation should be directed to Karter Witmer, kgw5107@psu.edu or call 570-439-4787.

How It Works!

The Breeding Bird Blitz for Conservation is a ten-day long event each June. This year it will be held from June 7 to 17.

PSO invites birders to join the Blitz by forming a team, raising funds, and completing one or more “big days” to document birds during nesting season by completing eBird checklists.

Teams enlist their friends to support their efforts with a donation; all donations are evenly split among the three conservation projects.

In its first three years, the Breeding Blitz for Conservation has raised over $45,000 and has supported nine different conservation projects.

The PSO is anticipating and working toward increasing the number of teams and funds raised each year.

The first Blitz in 2021 raised $10,645 dollars, the second in 2022 raised $15,071, and the third raised $19,310.

The PSO hopes to continue this upward trend as they move forward with the Blitz and continue to raise money supporting our conservation partners.

Past partners have included Hawk Mountain Association, Manada Conservancy, Western PA Conservancy, Erie Bird Observatory, the Ned Smith Center for Nature and Art, Willistown Conservation Trust, The Foundation for Sustainable Forests, and South Middleton Township.

PSO looks forward to adding to this list by supporting bird species of greatest conservation need in Pennsylvania with this year’s Blitz.

How To Contact PSO

Questions about applying to become a partner can be directed to blitz4conservation@gmail.com where a member of the PSO Conservation Committee will be excited to answer.

Conservation Committee members are Laura Jackson, chair; Brian Byrnes; Vern Gauthier; Carolyn Hendricks; and Karter Witmer.

The Pennsylvania Society for Ornithology is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization founded in 1990 to foster the study and appreciation of the wild birds of Pennsylvania and to promote the conservation of birds and their habitats.

PSO organizes and supports several bird monitoring projects, hosts field trips, an annual meeting, and publishes the quarterly journal Pennsylvania Birds.

[Posted: February 7, 2024]

2/12/2024