What a Raptorthon season we had! This was an excellent year for us because it was our 10th anniversary. We set a goal of raising $10,000 for raptor conservation and appreciation, and we’re happy to report that we smashed that goal, bringing in more than we ever have, with $12,860.00! Thank you to all the Raptorthoners that participated and to everyone who supported the eight teams this year!
Teams included:
- Vic Laubach and the Rockfish Gap Hawk Watch, VA
- Dr. Wargo and the Eaglets at Allegheny Front, PA
- Rich Conroy and the Militia Hill Hawk Watch, PA
- Julie Brown and the Brown Thrashers, NH
- Josh Haas and the Merlin Clan, MI
- The Pisgah Peregrines, NC
- Frank Nicoletti and the Hawk Ridge Spring Counters, MN
- And our featured Raptorthoner, Ridgetop Rachel, and the Wing Watchers at Hawk Mountain, PA.
Our partnership makes a significant impact on so many local watch sites in HMANA’s network!
Every year Raptorthon participants choose how they want their funds distributed. They can donate 50% to their local watch site and 50% to HMANA programs, 75% to HMANA and 25% to a conservation nonprofit, or 100% to HMANA. This year $5,590.00 was distributed to participating watch sites, $5,452.00 was allocated for HMANA programs like HawkCount and Hawk Migration Studies journal, and $1,818.00 will go toward HMANA’s Hawk Watch Fund, which allows us to provide annual grants to watch sites for education and research efforts.
A full Raptorthon summary with team accounts will be available in the fall issue of Hawk Migration Studies journal. Please read it and become inspired to join us for Raptorthon 2020!
