Everyone is aware of the terrible situation in the southern States from Hurricane Katrina. I've been wondering what could be done to help and another bander has given me this idea (paraphrased in quotation marks below).
Anyone who has books, field gear, or other birding items that they would like to donate can bring them to the AGM this weekend and I will make arrangements to get them to the right places. If you are not attending the AGM, or the time line is too short, please contact me directly and make arrangements for another time. Sorry for the extemely short notice, but I thought the AGM was too good an opportunity to pass up. Cindy Cartwright Saugeen Shores quote "It seems highly likely that some of our comrades in SE LA and coastal MS have lost everything. Let's hope that the roster is miraculously short. Nonetheless, let's start thinking about a relief effort. I suspect that FEMA/Red Cross etc. will eventually take care of the basic needs in terms of long-term housing and clothing, although we can do our part in terms of temp housing and donations. I suspect that an appropriate niche for us might be things like field gear and bird books. This stuff is obviously low on their immediate priority list but may mean a lot fairly soon to those who have lost it all... Perhaps those of you with birder contacts in other states can get those states to at least start thinking about a similar effort. It is unlikely that New Orleans area folks will have a clear idea of their losses soon, but Slidell-Lacombe and coastal MS folks may already know where they stand." -
