Letter to the Editor: Open Door Bird Sanctuary Thanks Supporters

We find ourselves coming to the close of another year and what year it has been! 2015 saw the sanctuary really begin to fly. With the generosity of Paul and Fran Burton, we broke ground in May on the Bird Care Center, our first building that includes housing for our birds that do not winter outside and indoor plumbing. Nearing completion, it was put up with a combination of contracted labor and purchased materials, donated labor and materials and most importantly many, many volunteer hours. Once again our Open Door Bird Sanctuary (ODBS) family stepped up to the challenge!

As if that were not enough, we doubled our programming schedule and additionally, doubled our revenue as well. However, the icing on the cake was our grand opening late summer where we were bowled over with packed houses and phenomenal press coverage, parking right out to County Rd I, no less. That certainly re-affirmed to us beyond a shadow of a doubt that we do indeed fill a void and bring great value to the environmental and tourist culture of Door County.

We have a solid foundation to grow from and looking to the future of the sanctuary, we are prioritizing the goal of firmly establishing ODBS to be in place for generations to come. Currently, the property is leased and we would like to make the purchase of the property our primary focus for 2016. This will be a big task, one that is likely to continue for several years, but one that is critical to the longevity of ODBS. The 34-acre property is being offered for $130,000, which is 65 percent of its purchase price, which is a significant reduction and truly an incentive for us to mobilize our fundraising efforts.

So join with us for the exciting adventure of 2016! We will be open to the public the second and fourth weekend of June, July and August and July 4th and Labor Day weekends. The hours are 12 – 4 pm, with programs at 1 pm both Saturday and Sunday. We also have new programs in the works like Learning in Retirement in May. We are so proud of all that has been accomplished in the last year or two and it is in large part due to the countless dedicated volunteer hours and your financial support.

If you are interested in volunteering in any way, please contact Jillaine at [email protected]. Through both foundational grants, revenue and support from you, we will continue to promote ODBS as a both a destination and a great place to experience birds of prey in 2016. We invite you to consider a gift again this year. You can donate through our website or our partner Razoo.com which accepts credit cards and PayPal. This year, we also added Square Cash as a donation option and we are able to accept stock transfers as well.

Without you to encourage us, we would not be here. Please consider remaining or becoming a member of ODBS this year and for years to come.

Rob Hults and Jillaine Burton, co-founders of Open Door Bird Sanctuary

Jacksonport, Wis.