My name is Garner Bischoff, and I’m a 16-year-old photographer and bird lover from Bainbridge Island, Washington. In August 2025, I’ll be traveling outside the U.S. for the first time to a small town near Italy’s western border. I’m thrilled by the opportunity to encounter a completely new range of bird species.

Even common European birds, their equivalent of America's crows and robins, are exciting to me. New families, new songs, new colors, and new behaviors that I’ve only seen in books and online make my heart race when I think about them. I’ll be in Italy for about 10 days, and I hope to document as many birds as I can to help expand my birding life list, photography portfolio, and share species I’ve never seen before to share with others who might not know about them.

In order to do this, I need to rent a professional telephoto lens: the Canon RF 100–500mm. This lens will allow me to capture birds showing their natural behaviors without disturbing them, something my current gear can’t do effectively. I’m currently saving for a permanent setup of my own, and renting this lens for the trip would set me back significantly. On top of that, I need other gear such as batteries, SD cards, cleaning tools, etc. That’s why I have decided to reach out in hopes of finding support from fellow photographers, birders, and creatives of all kinds.

Any amount helps, and I’m truly grateful for your consideration. Thank you so much for helping make this dream possible.

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