19th Annual Montezuma Muckrace — September 18-19th, 2015
Besure to save the date for one of the favorite annual fundraising events in the MontezumaWetlands Complex - the 19th annual Montezuma Muckrace. TheMuckrace, organized by the Friends of the Montezuma Wetlands Complex, is a 24-hour birding competition scheduled for Friday andSaturday, September 18th and 19th. That’s one week later than usualto avoid the busy Labor Day and back-to-school week. Mid-September is a great time to be birding atthe Complex. This globally-significant Important Bird Area supports a million or morewaterfowl of at least 30 species, thousands of inland migrating shorebirds, amyriad of ‘confusing’ fall warblers and many rare and endangered species. The 242-square mile Montezuma Focus Area, whichwas highlighted under the North American Waterfowl Management Plan as criticalmigratory bird habitat, serves as the boundary for the Muckrace. Teams register under severalcategories (Competitive, Youth, Low-Carbon, Photo, Family/Mentor, or Recreational)and bird together from 7:00 PM Friday until 7:00 PM Saturday, trying tolocate as many bird species as possible. Winningteams over the past several years have identified as many as 148 species, andcollectively, as many as 192 species have been seen by the 15 to 28 teams, in asingle day. This event, now in its 19thyear, has grown in popularity and set records for participation in each of thepast 3 years. Some say it is the coolcustom-designed T-shirts that everyone is collecting. Others say it is the prizes, made possible byover 25 generous sponsors, including top sponsor: Wild Birds Unlimited atSapsucker Woods. In addition to the funds donatedby sponsors, money is also raised through pledges sought by participants. Eventorganizers include the Friends of the Montezuma Wetlands Complex, N.Y.S. Departmentof Environmental Conservation, Audubon NY and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,and over 2 dozen volunteers. TheMontezuma Audubon Center, 2295 Route 89, Savannah, NY will serve as the eventheadquarters, with participants returning to this site at the finish onSaturday to compile their checklists, grab a bite to eat, and enjoy recappinghighlights of the day. Over the 19 years that the Muckrace has beenin existence, funds have supported the restoration of wetlands, theregeneration of important wildlife habitat, and the expansion of environmentaleducation and public use facilities. For more information, including 2015 MontezumaMuckrace registration and sponsorship details, visit the Friends website at www.friendsofmontezuma.org. Thank you! Chris LajewskiCenter DirectorMontezuma Audubon Center2295 State Route 89, Savannah, NY 13146 -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
