Houston and Galveston birding beloved beyond the borders of Texas

As you might expect, the majority of Houston Audubon’s members are from… that’s right, Texas. You might be surprised (as we were!) to learn that we have members in not only Texas, but in 21 other states around the country!

We were curious about why someone from a place as far as California or Hawaii would be involved with a non-profit regionally based in Houston and the Upper Texas Coast , so we caught up with a few out-of-state members to find out what inspired them to support our work. It turns out, they are some pretty inspiring people too, so we wanted to introduce you to a few of them.

First, meet Scott Bacvinskas. Scott is a member who lives in Pennsylvania. Scott was introduced to Houston Audubon when he lived in Houston in 2014 and was looking for volunteer work. He spent 2 years volunteering in the Natives Nursery at our Edith L. Moore Sanctuary.  When his company relocated him, he wanted to continue supporting the organization that gave him his introduction to native prairie plants. He doesn’t consider himself a birder, but he does enjoy walks in nature and spotting birds casually while he’s out.

Next up, meet David and Jo Nunnalee, from Washington State. These two have been visiting our High Island sanctuaries for nearly 30 years together. They sing high praises for Smith Oaks and Boy Scout Woods, saying they “don’t think there is another bird migration sanctuary in America that has finer birding, or is held in higher esteem.” In fact, a road trip to High Island this past spring was one of their first trips since COVID lockdown. They shared with us: “Well we packed the car about two weeks and 5 minutes after our second COVID vaccinations, and began the 5-day drive to High Island this past April. It was wonderful finally being able to venture out after being pretty much confined for a year. “

Wow! We are blushing.  They are avid birders, nature enthusiasts and are members of conservation organizations throughout the world. We are lucky to count them as our supporters!

Finally, meet Dick May, a Houston Audubon member who lives all the way in Hawaii.

Ever since he first visited High Island while living in Fort Worth in the mid-1990s he’s been returning to Texas for an annual birding trip. As he recalls “I was inspired to join Houston Audubon when I first visited your refuges, saw volunteers hard at work, and realized what a treasure you have created.  I met Julie Gold, then Membership Director, at Smith Oaks and joined on the spot, celebrating with macadamia nuts, as I recall.  I have visited every year since then.”

Dick is somewhat of a legacy birder. He was introduced to birding at 5 years old by his father, who was also a very serious birder, and had the opportunity to be mentored as an artist and an ornithologist by Roger Tory Peterson at the young age of 13. In fact, he was once the only teenager in the U.S. to hold a master banding permit.

Nowadays he is “retired”, but is still very active birding around the world and leading tours at the James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge on O’ahu. He is also a member of several birding organizations including National Audubon, Fort Worth Audubon, Hawaii Audubon, and the Hawaii Bird Records Committee.