Birding, biodiversity, binoculars…these all come together in the 13th annual Carden Challenge, an event in support of our conservation efforts of the Carden Alvar.
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Follow Along on May 26 – 27 for sightings, pictures & more!
Follow us on Twitter ~ Follow us on Instagram
Tanya from the Pink Flamingos, Dorthea from Pedalling for Nature and Cam from Pedalling for Nature will all be sharing (plus other participants as well)
Quick Links: The Challenge Teams – Resources for Teams
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The goal of the Carden Challenge is simple:
Raise funds to support the stewardship of Carden’s alvar and habitats by counting as many species as possible during a 24-hour period.
- Competitive Category for the keeners: count as many bird species as possible
- Recreation Category for the easy going folks: count as many bird species as possible
- Carden Critters Challenge: counts birds, mammals, herptiles, butterflies and dragonflies, with bonus points for species at risk.
Lunch is provided by Fowler’s Construction to all participants the Carden Challenge. The Challenge finishes off with a well-deserved dinner, care of the Lake Dalrymple church ladies. Not to be missed – they make the best pies!
Please register your team with Ron Reid – ronreid@couchconservancy.ca
[wc_countdown date=”May 26, 2017, 6:00:00 PM” format=”wdHMs” message=”The Countdown is on!” labels=”Years,Months,Weeks,Days,Hours,Minutes,Seconds” labels1=”Year,Month,Week,Day,Hour,Minute,Second”] [wc_divider style=”dashed” line=”single” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=””]Celebrity Birder: Steve Burrows
Steve Burrows’s life-long interest in birds and nature began in the urban parks around his childhood home in Birmingham, UK. Steve’s family later moved to Canada, where he became a high-school teacher and met his wife, Resa.
After relocating to Hong Kong, Steve became a contributing field editor with Asian Geographic, and he and Resa travelled to destinations including Sri Lanka, Vietnam and Papua New Guinea, to produce articles on everything from seahorses to birdwing butterflies.
On their return to Canada, Steve began writing fiction. His first novel in the Birder Murder series, A Siege of Bitterns, was a Globe & Mail Top 100 Books of the year selection, and won the 2015 Crime Writers of Canada award for Best First Novel. His most recent novel, A Cast of Falcons, made the CBC Canadian bestsellers list, and was a Kobo selection as one of the books of the year by a Canadian author. The fourth birder murder, A Shimmer of Hummingbirds, will be published in March, 2017.
[wc_button type=”primary” url=”https://www.canadahelps.org/en/pages/the-murder-birders-are-taking-part-in-the-carden-c/” title=”Support the Celebrity Birder by making a donation” target=”self” position=”float”]Support the Celebrity Birder by making a donation[/wc_button]
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Looking for a different kind of challenge? Consider taking part in Walk Wylie, happening May 27th from 9am – noon. Learn more here.
[wc_divider style=”solid” line=”single” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=””]Carden Challenge Teams
The Chachalacas
Ginny Moore, Kathy Parker, Eric Davis, Tracey Anderson-Simpson
[wc_divider style=”dashed” line=”single” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=””]The Bruce and the Spruce Moose
Brittany Hope, Esme Batten, Kristyn Ferguson, Tricia Stinnissen
Kristyn Ferguson: Sponsor this team here
Brittany Hope: Sponsor here
[wc_divider style=”dashed” line=”single” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=””]The Pink Flamingos
Courtney Baker, Phil Careless, Meagan Coughlin & Tanya Clark are in it to win it – in the recreation birding category that is. Armed with binoculars and birding books, they are heading out on the alvar in search of as many bird species as possible. This team is serious about learning their birds, and they need your sponsorship to spur them on to help protect this special place in our region.
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The Murder Birders
Be careful around this notorious foursome – Steve Burrows writes murder mysteries with a birding theme, and Ron Reid, Janet Grand, and Ric Symmes are under his spell. Can they master-mind a win in the competitive birding category? Their motive is to raise as much money as possible, and you can help!
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The Couch Potato Chips
Mark Bisset, Claire Milligan, Josh Milligan & Kyra Howes
Sponsor this team
[wc_divider style=”dashed” line=”single” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=””]Pedalling for Nature
Back for our 8th year, we are ready to roll! This year we have veteran Susan Blayney joining the team, who you may remember as a past winner in the “Biodiversity” Category. Aiesha Aggarwal and Cameron Curran have also made the right decision to go human-powered, and will be bringing excellent hearing and eyesight, boundless enthusiasm, and some darn fine cameras to document the rare and exquisite birds of the Carden Alvar. Dorthea Hangaard, mainstay of the team for the past six years, will have a variety of organic chocolate in her pannier — sure to turn hardship into joy.
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Phalaropes
Dale Leadbetter, Leslie Dyment, Jean Humphries, plus one more
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Cardinals
Chris Ellingwood, Candice Talbot, plus two more
[wc_divider style=”dashed” line=”single” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=””]Cou-Cou-Cachings
Nathalie Rockhill, Adam Thomson, Kathy Callahan, Jim
[wc_divider style=”dashed” line=”single” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=””]Whip-poor-wills
Peter Mills, Reuven Martin, Peter Simons, Maddie Trottier
[wc_divider style=”dashed” line=”single” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=””]Birds of a Feather
Simon Francies, Bella, Melissa, Reid
More to be added as they register!
[wc_divider style=”dashed” line=”single” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=””]Resources for Participants
- Updated Species List – PDF or Excel
- Carden Challenge Letter – Single Pledge
- Pledge Form – Multiple Pledges
- How to set up your Fundraising Page – Canada Helps (for online giving)
- 10 Fundraising Tips
- 2017 Carden Challenge rules
- 2017 Biodiversity Challenge Guidelines
- Carden Challenge Map
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Quick Links: The Challenge Teams – Resources for Teams
[wc_divider style=”dashed” line=”single” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=””]Tweets & Grams
You can search the #CardenChallenge hashtag on Twitter or Instagram to follow along. No account needed! Link to Twitter here or see Instagram here.
[wc_divider style=”dashed” line=”single” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=””]Pictures from 2016
