November 29, 2011

Dear Friend of Birdsong,

On the day I received Carole Hayes’s end-of-year letter of appeal for Birdsong Nature Center I was making a batch of cranberry muffins, so Birdsong was on my mind, and when the muffins cooled I thought I would take some down the road to share with the staff. My head was full of everything I had read in Carole’s letter as I got out a gallon size Zip-Lock bag – the kudzu control project, the weekly natural history programs, the newly cleared Linton’s Corner, the ambitious fund-raising plans. Plop, plop, plop, into the bag I dropped three muffins.

Then it struck me: I could hold in the palm of one hand enough cranberry muffins to feed the entire staff of Birdsong Nature Center. In a way, the sight of those pitiful muffins made Birdsong’s plight clearer than anything I had read in Carole’s letter.

I thought back to my visits at Birdsong over the year. I remembered a day in early spring seeing that beat-up 1958 John Deere tractor come roaring out of the smoke, Kathleen perched on the seat with her hair tied up in a rag – she needed more water, more beaters – the fire had gotten into the Holly Woods. I remembered a land management tour in the summer, hearing a sound like giants rattling boulders around in 50 gallon drums – Chuck was clearing Linton’s Corner with the bush hog. I remembered a lovely evening in the fall in the front yard of the house, everything just so – delicious food, beautiful flower arrangements, all put together by Birdsong’s staff and volunteers.

Birdsong projects a kind of understated dignity in its public image. It comes across in Kathleen’s elegant nature writing in every newsletter: no melodrama, no trite sentiment, no cute anthropomorphic animal stories. Carole Hayes’s letter reflects that understatement too, in her use of the passive voice: “trails are being maintained,” “brush has been cleared,” “an access ramp was built”. But there is nothing passive about the workings of Birdsong Nature Center. The hard work of this 565 acre nature preserve – land management, public relations, bookkeeping, event planning – is all done by three overworked staff people and a handful of faithful volunteers getting the most out of every dime.

Three little muffins is not enough. Please remember Birdsong Nature Center when you make your end of 2011 financial plans.

Sincerely yours,

June Bailey White

November 4, 2011

Dear Friend of Birdsong,

It is Birdsong’s 25th Anniversary year and we have many significant things to celebrate, thanks to you. Birdsong, this “rare paradise”, is still here and holding its own after 25 years of operation. Our doors remain open year-round; we continue to manage and maintain 565 acres of land and historic buildings; conservation and natural history education programs are offered weekly. All this has been achieved with no endowment support. In spite of ongoing and very distressing economic conditions, we have a number of positive achievements to report:

• Our first Annual Campaign goal of $60,000 was not only reached, but was exceeded by $3,500, thanks to your response.
• Birdsong met its budget and completed its 2010 fiscal year in the black for the first time in years, thanks to your Annual Campaign response and a special gift from a major donor.
• Visitation has increased compared to this time last year.
• The Board of Directors followed through on its Sustainability Initiative goals as stated and improved the fall Open House and Raffle, completed a member survey, recruited new volunteers, revised our educational approach to include more in-depth workshops, and implemented Birdsong’s first Annual Campaign.
• At the Main House, an access ramp was built and the garden has been restored and is now more attractive than it has been in years.
• A number of new land management projects were initiated that significantly enhance Birdsong’s mission and its value for wildlife, aesthetics, and the enjoyment of visitors. These include an extensive new Wild Azalea Trail; the Buckeye Trail project, where upland hammock plants are being protected and favored; and Crotalaria, Lespedeza, and other invasive plant control efforts. A major kudzu control project is now ongoing, brush has been cleared from the entire Linton’s Corner section, and the south edge of the Gin House Field has been reclaimed from encroaching pines. Trails are being well maintained and new trails developed. The land, Birdsong’s top priority, is in beautiful shape.

Your powerful response to last year’s Annual Campaign gave us great hope. We feel certain Birdsong can weather the next few years of economic stress and emerge stronger and better positioned for the future, with your much- needed help. We remain focused and optimistic and are planning some new opportunities for Birdsong in 2012: thanks to a gift from the Jasper and Marthalene Davis Foundation, we will be enhancing our educational opportunities for children; a Planned Giving program will be announced early in the year; we plan to develop a nature play area for children; we will be providing more social opportunities on site for our members, supporters, and volunteers and hopefully generate a greater sense of community for Birdsong. We are pursuing excellence with the resources available to us. Your gift to this year’s annual campaign will make a difference.

The 2011 Annual Campaign goal is to raise $65,000 by the end of the year. We are very pleased to announce that we have already received three major gifts totaling $19,600, and there has been 100% participation by Birdsong’s Board and staff, so we are entering the 2011 campaign with $22,000, or 34% of our goal already attained. We are relying on you to get us to the final goal of $65,000.

Please consider what Birdsong Nature Center means to you, your family and your community and what would be lost if it were gone. We ask that you give to the best of your ability and that your gift reflect the value you place on Birdsong. A high level of participation in these first several years of the Annual Campaign will demonstrate to major donors and foundations that this organization’s base is committed to turning Birdsong’s fortunes around, that failure is not an option. Your gift can lead to much more than our $65,000 goal and help ensure Birdsong’s sustainability into the future.

Birdsong is a 501(c)3 corporation, so your gift is tax deductible to the fullest extent permitted by law. Your business may have a matching gift program that can enable you to increase the value of your contribution.

Every gift matters; every gift is a vote of support. We deeply appreciate your participation and together look forward to a sustainable future for Birdsong.

Sincerely,

Carole Hayes
President, Board of Directors

If you wish to contribute to Birdsong for this Campaign, or at any other time during the year, a check made payable to Birdsong Nature Center and mailed to the address shown at the upper-right will be greatly appreciated. Donations via credit card can also be made by calling either of the telephone numbers shown.