We are asking you to consider giving us your support this year. Remember, this is our only fund raising effort. We don’t pester you weekly, monthly, or throughout the year. Your help allows our all-volunteer group to accomplish our mission “to be a center for wildlife education, habitat protection, and conservation issues that involve birds.”

These efforts are of increasing importance in view of the past decreasing support for environmental issues coming from the Federal Administration.

You can DONATE four different ways:

• With the self-addressed envelope enclosed with the annual appeal letter (sent to those already on our membership rolls)
• Send a check to our mailing address: SMBAS, PO Box 35, Pacific Palisades, CA 90272
• With PayPal using the PayPal Widget located on the right side bar of the blog
• With a Credit Card using the same PayPal Widget located on the right side bar of the blog.  You do not have to join PayPal to donate, just have your credit card “standing by.”

Please take a moment and make a donation today.

We continue our strong backing of all things birds, habitat, native plants, the environment and conservation through education, field trips, bird monitoring, speakers and grants to students and conservation groups.

Please take a minute to read the annual appeal letter below and see what we have been doing this year.

Thank you,

Jean Garrett
President

Link to our online 2025-26 Calendar of Field Trips and Programs

---

Dear Friend of SMBAS,                                                                                                 November 6, 2025

As we write this letter, we are acutely aware of the consequences of the Palisades Fire for many of our members, neighbors, and friends. We hope for their recovery and continuing interest in nature in general and especially in birds.  Most of you know, this is our only financial appeal of the year. As an all-volunteer chapter our expenses are low, but our activities are frequent and with great local impact. Our members have supported us over the decades and we hope you will help us continue in our mission.

This year we are welcoming several new members – five and counting – to the Board of SMBAS. As time progresses, you’ll probably see a gradual change in our activities and outreach that corresponds to a younger population on the board. We’re also looking forward to next year as Santa Monica Bay Audubon Society celebrates its 50th Anniversary.

We are approaching the end of the year along with the holiday season and hope it gives you the opportunity to celebrate. Please remember that local birding is at its best for the next six months, so we hope to see you on a field trip in the near future.

Please join us and encourage your friends to do so. Our activities are all free and most have no attendance limit. If you’re experienced or want to start joining our leadership, we welcome co-leaders. Just get in touch with the leader listed on the blog announcement.

Jean Garrett, President SMBAS

---

Your support helps these activities and services to continue:

• The Blog: In addition to advance announcements and follow-up reports of all our activities, our blog has frequent interesting articles on birds, nature and science in general. There are occasional longer series on subjects like avian taxonomy and polyandry. The blog also has permanent pages on special topics: Animal rescue information, Western Snowy Plovers, 80 L.A. Co. Birding Areas, Malibu Lagoon, Calendar, Grant Applications, The Tongva, Birds in the Bible, Locating Birds for Others, Zoom Recordings. When you give that www.smbas.org address to your friends and acquaintances, make sure you encourage them to explore the multiple links on our site. It’s a treasury of history, local knowledge and bird lore!

• Malibu Lagoon monthly bird walks: (4^th Sunday–not the last), we welcome new and experienced birders at 8:30 and ‘Kids and Parents’ at 10 am.
  
• Field Trips: Held October—June to nearby destinations, usually on the 2^nd Saturday of the month. Currently scheduled: 13 Dec: Back Bay Newport; 14 Feb: Madrona Marsh; 14 Mar: Sepulveda Basin. Remember to check smbas.org for updates and adjustments!

• Evening Programs: October through December and February through May, an online program on scientific, travel, or conservation topics. Please check smbas.org  for our next program. Sign up on the blog to receive all announcements in your inbox.

• Your funding helps support:
  • Endowments with Santa Monica College Foundation and Loyola Marymount University supply scholarship aid to biology or ecology students.
  • Grants up to $600 to students at local colleges and universities for research on local species and environments.  We would love to expand the number of awards as the costs for students keeps ballooning.
  • Funding for bus transportation for inner city children to visit and explore Ballona Saltwater Lagoon.  The number of buses we pay for depends on our annual fundraising.
  • Sponsorship of student summer internship with Student Conservation Association.
  • Staffing the Annual Coastal Cleanup station at Malibu Lagoon State Beach for Heal the Bay, [held on the 3^rd Saturday of September.]

• Our conservation activities include: Regular monitoring of our beloved Western Snowy Plovers, monitoring and encouraging the Bay Foundation’s Dune Restoration program on local beaches, special letter-writing and appearances before local and national organizations to develop influence.  We alert our readers to letter-writing campaigns in conjunction with other organizations to oppose or support legislation.

---

---

Please check the blog www.smbasblog.com for changes and updates.
[posted by Chuck Almdale]