There are 18,043 species of birds on Earth. Boone’s Bird Club, with 96 members, intends to celebrate, protect and learn about them all.
In anticipation of the first meeting, President Russell Dagon encouraged others to join his club with a positive outlook and infectious love of birds.
“There is so much I don’t know about birds and Rusty seemed so passionate and makes every idea so interesting,” secretary Madison McCoy said. “It’s important to learn about wildlife in Florida and other states because so often we forget to get up and look around at the beautiful things God created.”
Bird Club made its debut this year. Though not all members could attend the first meeting, Dagon encouraged everyone to remain as engaged as possible as they discussed club names, activities and visions.
“We had an outstanding turnout for the first meeting. Many excited students about bird club and I am hoping they will continue to come out all year to the meetings and projects,” sponsor Allyssa Taylor said.
Upcoming activities such as decorating Elias Contogonas‘ pavilion in the Avian Reconditioning Center and birdhouse creations will help the club build a solid foundation in its first year.
However, the officers hope all members will find ways to participate as the year progresses.
“If this club is going to function, we are going to need support from all of our members. We need people to come to our events and show up for our activities. We need 100 percent support,” Dagon said.
Meeting and event dates have yet to be determined, but will be available on twitter (@BooneBirdClub) among an array of bird related tweets.