<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"><head><meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=us-ascii"><meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered medium)"><style><!--
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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#467886" vlink="#96607D" style='word-wrap:break-word'><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Yes, some of you’all can tell one bird from another and some cannot. Well… maybe you can name one or two, that would be a help in this count. Song birds are great little music makers; especially to hear in the early morning hours! <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>RNL<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;mso-ligatures:none'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;mso-ligatures:none'> marthajs@verizon.net <marthajs@verizon.net> <br><b>Sent:</b> Tuesday, March 3, 2026 6:45 AM<br><b>To:</b> marthajs@verizon.net<br><b>Subject:</b> Global Blind Birders Bird-a-Thon<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align=left width="100%" style='width:100.0%'><tr><td width=0 style='width:.3pt;background:#A6A6A6;padding:5.25pt 1.5pt 5.25pt 1.5pt'></td><td width="100%" style='width:100.0%;background:#EAEAEA;padding:5.25pt 3.75pt 5.25pt 11.25pt;aspect-ratio: revert !important;background:revert !important;block-size: revert !important;border:revert !important;bottom: revert !important;color:revert !important;color-scheme: revert !important;content-visibility: revert !important;cursor:revert !important;direction:revert !important;display:revert !important;font-size:revert !important;height:revert !important;hyphens: revert !important;letter-spacing:revert !important;line-height:revert !important;margin:revert !important;opacity: revert !important;order: revert !important;outline: revert !important;overflow:revert !important;padding:revert !important;position:revert !important;resize: revert !important;rotate: revert !important;scale: revert !important;tab-size: revert !important;table-layout:revert !important;text-align:revert !important;text-indent:revert !important;text-orientation: revert !important;text-overflow: revert !important;text-shadow:revert !important;text-transform:revert !important;text-wrap: revert !important;top:revert !important;transition: revert !important;user-select: revert !important;vertical-align:revert !important;visibility:revert !important;white-space:revert !important;width:revert !important;word-break:revert !important;word-spacing:revert !important;writing-mode:revert !important;zoom: revert !important'><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-element:frame;mso-element-frame-hspace:2.25pt;mso-element-wrap:around;mso-element-anchor-vertical:paragraph;mso-element-anchor-horizontal:column;mso-height-rule:exactly'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:#212121;mso-ligatures:none'>You don't often get email from <a href="mailto:marthajs@verizon.net">marthajs@verizon.net</a>. <a href="https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentification">Learn why this is important</a> <o:p></o:p></span></p></div></td><td width=75 style='width:56.25pt;background:#EAEAEA;padding:5.25pt 3.75pt 5.25pt 3.75pt;aspect-ratio: revert !important;background:revert !important;block-size: revert !important;border:revert !important;bottom: revert !important;color:revert !important;color-scheme: revert !important;content-visibility: revert !important;cursor:revert !important;direction:revert !important;display:revert !important;font-size:revert !important;height:revert !important;hyphens: revert !important;letter-spacing:revert !important;line-height:revert !important;margin:revert !important;opacity: revert !important;order: revert !important;outline: revert !important;overflow:revert !important;padding:revert !important;position:revert !important;resize: revert !important;rotate: revert !important;scale: revert !important;tab-size: revert !important;table-layout:revert !important;text-align:revert !important;text-indent:revert !important;text-orientation: revert !important;text-overflow: revert !important;text-shadow:revert !important;text-transform:revert !important;text-wrap: revert !important;top:revert !important;transition: revert !important;user-select: revert !important;vertical-align:revert !important;visibility:revert !important;white-space:revert !important;width:revert !important;word-break:revert !important;word-spacing:revert !important;writing-mode:revert !important;zoom: revert !important;align: left !important'></td></tr></table><div><p class=MsoNormal>Dear directors of state agencies for the blind,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:12.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'>I wanted to alert you to an event that may be of interest to your constituents. We are just two months away from the 2nd Annual Global Blind Birder Bird-a-Thon happening May 3 and 4, 2026, and registration is officially open. This global celebration is designed with and for birders who are blind </span><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>or <span style='color:black'>have low vision. It centers birding by ear, community connections, and the understanding that birding is for every body and every mind.</span></span><o:p></o:p></p><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:12.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:12.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'>Participants who are blind or have low vision can bird anywhere in the world during at least two hours of a 24 hour window on either May 3 or May 4. Birding can take place in a backyard, park, balcony, accessible trail, neighborhood sidewalk, or wherever listening to birds is possible. Count the species you detect by sound or sight and submit your list to the Bird-a-Thon Compiler so your birds can be part of the global total. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:12.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:12.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'>There is no cost to participate. The focus is community, joy in birds, awareness, and access.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:12.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left:0in'><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p><p style='mso-margin-top-alt:12.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left:0in'><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'>Full details and registration are available at:</span></b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'><br><a href="https://www.birdability.org/blind-birdathon">https://www.birdability.org/blind-birdathon</a></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I am available to answer any questions. You may also consider organizing one or more outings in your state in coordination with local bird clubs who can provide expert guidance on identifying birds by ear.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Sincerely,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Martha Steele (blind from Usher syndrome)<o:p></o:p></p></div></div></body></html>