
BIG DAY: In Memory of Roland
Donation protected
Roland was many things, a birder was just one. He volunteered on bird-focused community science projects for many years, and traveled extensively to see exotic birds. Over the years, he came with me on group trips I organized to Ecuador, Guatemala, Colombia and Costa Rica and together we saw over a 1,000 species. He was so much fun to travel with. I will miss his bird knowledge, keen eye, amazing photography skills, and self-deprecating humor. We had some great times together.
Sadly, cancer got the better of Roland despite his pragmatic fight. In honor of Roland's dedication to volunteering and love of birds I'm planning on doing a Big Day* to raise money for Seattle Children's: Ben Towne Center for Childhood Cancer Research . I think Roland would approve of supporting research into curing childhood cancer.
*For those who don't know what a Big Day is (why would you?!), a Big Day is when someone spends an entire 24hrs searching for as many species of bird as they can. I've done a few of these in the past, raising money for previous conservation employers, and they're always a ton of fun. My target is 100 SPECIES in one day. This Big Day will take place on May 10, 2024 and will entail driving out to Vantage, WA, camping overnight, and then slowly working our way back to Seattle stopping at various locations along the way, spotting as many birds as we can.
Perhaps consider a per-species donation, like .25c, .50c, or $1 per species - message me the amount and I’ll let you know the final amount after the Big Day.
Wish me luck and please donate to this amazing cause.
Organizer
Toby Ross
Organizer
Seattle, WA