Last month, I recognized the people who look after the properties we own and manage. This month I want to tell you about the people who are responsible for distributing EARTHWAYS. Gita and Modris Zandbergs and Boyd and Lucy Snider pick up the copies from the printer, attach labels and tax receipts, do the mailings, and sort for hand-delivery. There are several delivery routes and the runners are Modris and Gita Zandbergs, Lucy and Boyd Snider, Mary Harman, George Sunaitis, Joan and Frank Baugh, Mary Anne Miller, Chris Holding, Pam Edwards, Francoise Gillingham, Floyd Elliott, Lois Bremner, Dorothy Plumley, Marion Toms, Carol Sterling, Vicky Breedyk, and Marjorie Harris. I hope that I didn't miss anyone. Thank-you all for doing this very important job.

The American Birding Association has a program called Birders Exchange. Its purpose is to collect used binoculars, recondition them and then distribute them where there is a need. I have always thought that it sounded like a great project, and this year Joe and I were fortunate enough to see it in action. While visiting Panama, I contacted the Panama Audubon Club and they graciously invited us to an outing to deliver four pairs of binoculars to four young Embera Drua natives. These indigenous Panamanians have preserved their traditional way of life by living in an isolated village in the mountains above Panama City. For the ceremony they were dressed in beautiful traditional costume and they were clearly thrilled to receive the binoculars. If you are interested in this ABA program, please give me a call.

Hope to see you at the Indoor Program on January 27 at 7:30 p.m. when Lynn Eves will give us an update on Raptor Rehabilitation.

Diane