Young Professionals Take Flight for Conservation: YPAC’s Fundraising Year in Review

By Liz Virgl, YPAC 2025 Fundraising Committee Chair

What a year it’s been for YPAC’s inaugural Fundraising Committee! Seven brave YPAC members joined the team with a simple vision: raise funds to save birds. Little did we know how much fun, learning, and friendship we’d find along the way.

We opened our year with Evening on the Canopy, held at the historic Smith Oaks Bird Sanctuary in High Island. The evening was a Spring Migration Celebration with guided bird walks, ample Rookery viewing, food, and merriment. With 84 attendees, YPAC members were integral in supporting staff and guests while also enjoying the evening’s festivities, even leading the bus party to and from the bird sanctuary. We are proud to share that the event raised $25,000 to support Houston Audubon’s conservation, education, habitat restoration, and science programs.

Next came one of our favorite fundraisers: Birdathon! YPAC teams were formed, rivalries flared, and the competition took flight—all in the name of bird conservation. With all eyes on the YPAC Birdathon Awards, the Fundraising Committee got work to gathering support for their big birding day. In the end, YPAC team Meepers Peepers swept the competition! Securing Most Funds Raised and Best Team Spirit, the duo raised $13,000 and identified one of the highest bird counts! YPAC’s peer-to-peer fundraising efforts brought in $15,941 in total. Thanks to everyone’s efforts, Birdathon surpassed its goal of $55,000, raising over $71,000 for bird conservation.

YPAC’s Fundraising Committee closed out the year supporting the silent auction at Avian Affair, Houston Audubon’s signature gala. YPAC members rallied local businesses, families, friends, and colleagues to contribute to the gala and the Save Bolivar Flats Campaign, helping protect vital coastal habitat for migratory birds. YPAC’s efforts raised $1,970 at the silent auction, and the event raised over $340,000!

As the Fundraising Committee reflects on our first year, we’re proud not only of the funds we raised to support bird conservation, but also of the fun we had along the way. Fundraising was a new and unique way for YPAC members to contribute to Houston Audubon. It gave us the chance to apply and develop skills in fundraising, collaboration, event planning, and donor engagement—all to save birds. Along the way, we made new friends and participated in unique and exciting Houston Audubon events. Cheers to the YPAC Fundraising Committee, and here’s to even more success in the year ahead!

Learn more about Young Professionals Advisory Council (YPAC) on the Houston Audubon website!