From Austin to Ottawa, we are ALL connected!
Bufflehead duck (Photo by Karol Dabbs)
I grew up in Charleston, South Carolina. I live in Austin, Texas, and I support conservation work all over Canada! You may be wondering, "WHY?!"
The answer is very simple: I love nature, and I really love birds! Even more than that, I love making things happen; building on opportunities and helping to create a better world.
Did you know that each year billions of birds migrate between Canada and the U.S. and beyond? ALL of these migratory birds — songbirds, game birds, shorebirds, water birds, waterfowl — need habitat in more than one country to thrive. When I learned that close to 70 percent of all North American waterfowl breed in Canada, and that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service helps to fund some Canadian conservation work that supports migratory birds, I just HAD to get involved!
I love the big picture thinking that is involved in looking outside our borders...from a BIRD'S-EYE view.
Most Americans don’t wake up and think, “Ah, today I should donate to support Canadian conservation work because it benefits migratory birds. Birds that I think are ‘my’ birds.” But maybe they should.
I want to encourage folks in the U.S. to think outside the border. That’s why I’m helping to launch the Night of 1,000 Dinners 4 Nature. It is a brand-new initiative by the Friends of the Nature Conservancy of Canada (FNCC), a U.S. charity that is helping to fund some of the Nature Conservancy of Canada’s conservation work. That in turn benefits the species here in the U.S. It doesn’t hurt that this also results in a U.S. tax deduction!
I’m a also business owner, so I get excited when donations can be leveraged to deliver more results. Tangible results. When I heard that U.S. donations to help protect migratory bird habitats in Canada could be quadrupled, I wanted to learn more. The value of MY dollar being increased instead of minimized REALLY gets me excited!! And to think that I can give four times the help to a cause I LOVE!
In business, THAT is great leverage!
Nature needs our help in so many ways. This is my way.
It makes me smile to know I’m helping build a legacy for the future. We are all connected.
Good for the U.S. Good for Canada. Good for Nature AND Good for the Birds.
About the Author
Caroline Jones is an entrepreneur, dentist, innovator, speaker, business coach and a catalyst for positive change.
