Dear Friends,

​This year, as our homes became our offices, many of us found refuge from the pandemic in nature and began to pay more attention to the lives of our feathered neighbors. Some of us wondered if birds have always been this noisy or if it’s simply that we finally paused to listen? Watching birds go about their daily business brought much needed calmness into our lives, and these shared experiences helped connect people during a time of distancing.

At the same time, bird-watching also made the news by highlighting dangers faced by birders-of-color, particularly Black birders, who do not always enjoy the same freedoms in outdoor spaces. SFBBO and other bird-focused organizations made commitments to increase racial equity in birding and conservation.

I’ve been impressed by the ingenuity and compassion of our staff, volunteers, and donors, who have found novel ways to help people connect with birds and support racial equity in conservation. Even without in person events, we were able to draw hundreds of new participants to our virtual Birdy Hour science talks and our remote Bird Photo Day cooperative bird-a-thons. Donors reached out to me proactively to help finance our push to increase diversity in science by paying interns better.

Despite a challenging time, you have helped us keep our staff working and surpass all of our fundraising goals this year, putting us in a strong position to enter 2021. Next year marks 40 years that the San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory has been working to conserve birds and their habitats, and our work is more important than ever.

Injured Snowy Plover rescued by SFBBO biologists this spring.

Please support SFBBO staff by making a donation to our Year End Appeal today and help us raise $15,000 by December 31! Donations of $25 or more are eligible to receive an SFBBO shirt!

Keep Our Programs Going - Over the last six months, our staff has been able to return to the field to put in acres of new restored habitat and survey for birds again. As we move into 2021, we look forward to finding creative ways to reconnect with our donors and members. In addition, we will be working on plans to capture the increased interest in the natural world and transform it into meaningful conservation success through more virtual learning opportunities, STEM lessons for K-12 and college students, and corporate partnerships.

​Next year, we will also continue our popular virtual Birdy Hours, which have been a great way to introduce fun science topics to hundreds of people at a time. In addition, we will expand our efforts to increase our outreach to diverse communities to build broad support for bird conservation. 

Restored Bay Area tidal marsh

Please make a gift today to support SFBBO and, if possible, increase your impact by participating in your company’s matching gift program! 

Thank you again for your dedication to our small, but vital corner of the world. To show our gratitude, we wanted to offer you some holiday cheer. Make the holidays birdy by downloading (from your computer) our Burrowing Owl and Snowy Plover cards (please see below) to share with your friends and family. They can be send digitally, posted to social media, or printed as postcards to mail. We at SFBBO are here to support you; if you ever want to get in touch, please reach out by email to outreach@sfbbo.org or through our social media by tagging #SFBBO.

Yiwei Wang
Executive Director

Please consider doubling the impact of your gift by participating in your company's matching gift program, becoming a monthly donor, or leaving a legacy that lasts for SFBBO. When you make an online donation, you will automatically and immediately receive an emailed receipt.

Donate for the Birds