Kirtland Bird Club member,  Ethan Kistler, has applied for and has been accepted as a member of the Tropicbirds Team in ABA's World Series of Birding this May. The Tropicbirds competition is a primary means of fundraising for the ABA's education programs. This fundraiser earns money for young birder scholarships and conferences, as well as adult education and educational out-reach.

Ethan is 15 and lives in Newton Falls, Ohio. He is currently a freshman at Newton Falls High School and has been birding for over 5 years. What he enjoys most is leading bird walks, assisting in bird banding, and helping with bird surveys. In the future he plans on majoring in ornithology along with studying botany, entomology, and en-vironmental science.

Ethan is gladly accepting pledges to raise money for this event. You can pledge per bird or one lump some.  Checks should be made payable to the American Birding Association. All pledges must be mailed to Ethan by June 1, 2006. You can contact Ethan at: Ohiobirder at Yahoo.com for further information and instructions on where to send your pledge. Donations are tax-deductible as the ABA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. For information on the ABA's Tropicbirds Team Click Here.

Congratulations Ethan!