American Coot

Hey, folks! Just a quick update--I did well enough with book sales and card readings at PantheaCon this past weekend that I was able to make a nice financial contribution to the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge on my way back home yesterday! This 10,000+ acre piece of land is deliberately flooded every year to create habitat for migrating birds passing through California. Because so much habitat has been eaten up by housing developments, agriculture and other human uses, this refuge is absolutely crucial to these birds' ability to rest and get food on their long seasonal journey. This American coot is just one of several birds I got photos of while walking the paths and driving the giant loop on the premises. 

Want to help keep this refuge alive? If you're a US voter, vote for laws that give funding to USFW for refuges and other resources, and urge your elected officials to support them as well. You can also support organizations that partner with the National Wildlife Refuge System. And if you live close enough to a refuge and are willing and able, you can even volunteer your time to help keep it in good condition and educate visitors! If you can visit, buying an annual visitor's pass and patronizing the refuge's bookstore help to fund everything from facility repairs to habitat restoration to employee paychecks, all necessary to keeping the refuge open and ready to receive its avian inhabitants each year.