A Million Thanks

Great Blue Heron. Photo by Sara Micklos / Birds Georgia Photographers Network.

Birds Georgia’s A Million Thanks column is an opportunity to recognize and thank the volunteers, members, donors, and friends who support our work and help us build places where birds and people thrive. Previously published in our quarterly Wingbars newsletter, A Million Thanks will now appear on our website. The column is compiled by Steve Phenicie.

… to Richard Hall for hosting multiple Birds Georgia events at his home Wildlife Sanctuary … to Christine Rysenga and Shanna Lee for leading the Jekyll Wildlife Corridor Event … to Sara Micklos for going above and beyond to help photograph sites for the Georgia Birding Trail … to Susan Berthelot and Don Kopanoff for reviewing and organizing submissions from our Birds Georgia Photographers Network … to Mahdi Woodard and Josh Jackson for their collaboration on our Owl Prowl … to Steve Phenicie for his writing contributions … to Cormac Dow and Delaney Williams for their creativity and partnership on our Birds of Georgia Playing Card Decks … to our committed Project Safe Flight volunteers for their continued efforts as we continue monitoring metro Atlanta and the coast for bird-building collisions: Addison Schultz, Arthur Redfern, Brittani Long, Cheryl Hensley, Cole and Michael Ruberti, Elissa Dietz, Gavin MacDonald, Grace Roth, Hope Conn, Kalina Eskew, Karen Osborne, Kelly Bryan, Larry Klink, Laurel Gross, Lucas, Michelle, and Mike Ayling, Mary Kimberly, Maureen Carroll, Mike Brune, Nancy Kennell, Nick Berardi, Sarah Fortuno, Courtenay Dusenbury, Martha Rees, Joy Martin, Karen Conneely, Margaret Ellis, Iman Naim, and Sharon Harp; Claire Hannah and Dr. David Stasek at the College of Coastal Georgia; Professors Emily Weigel and Ben Freeman, Michelle Wong and the facilities team, and the Birdwatchers Club at Georgia Tech ... to our Climate Watch volunteers: Angie Lewis, Anne Sturtevant, Barbara Powell-Schager, Kelly Plasket, Brian Campbell, Jackie Miller, Jim and Valerie McMullian, Lisbet Phillips, Mary Nevil, Max Brown, Melanie Furr, Peter Followill, Sandy Murray, Steven Seligsohn, and Wendy Hoback … to our talented field trip leaders Jay Davis and John Harty and knowledgeable instructors for providing their expertise to the Master Birder Fall 2026 Cohort: Georgann Schmlalz, Giff Beaton, Theresa Hartz, Dr. Kyle Horton (Purdue University), Dr. Carolyn Burt (Purdue University), and Dr. Sonia Hernandez (University of Georgia) … to our awesome Avian Advocates for the certification of new Wildlife Sanctuaries in 2026: Melinda Langston, Esther Stokes, Lou Clymore, Maggie Stephen, Kelly Plasket, Paula Grad, Sheryl Berg, Mary Ann Hines, and Greg Mauldin … to our partners and volunteers on the coast with Coastal Georgia Audubon, Jekyll Island Authority, the University of Georgia, Jekyll Island Garden Club, and Coastal WildScapes for assisting with our Golf Course to Wildlife Corridor and Dune Restoration planting days on Jekyll Island … to our field trip Leaders for providing their talents and time to lead field trips across the metro area: Josh Jackson, Anne McCallum, Kevin O'Toole, Pedro Pavón, Dottie Head, Alicia Thompson, Steven Seligsohn, Jack Curran, Toni Weir, Sheng Jiang, Liz Freeman, Terry Miller, and Jay Davis … to the following for helping the Habitat Team on our restoration projects: Abby Smith-Tillander, Alexis Alexander, Amanda Warr, Amber Patterson, Anaheeta Hadjimirzaei, Ani Matrai-Monk, Arely Gallegos, Barbara Mahon, Carol Wong, Carolyn Brown, Casey Chaviano, Christina Doan, Cindy Wolfe, Cynthia Fleck, Daniel Burnett, Donna Bennett, Emily Goodnight, Heather Rowe, Hilary Herlinger, Irena Rowe, Jack Nicholson, James Stratton, Jameson Guthrie, Jeff Huberty, Jeff Kerlagon, Jennifer Couch, Jim Hanna, John Mayes, Joseph Roberts, Justin Patterson, Kahea Sako, Kale Bryant, Kaleigh Scruggs, Kathryn Spahr, Kathy Mowrey, Kehau Sako, Kelly Plasket, Kris Bisgard, Leena Shah, Liv Reeves, Luke Wylie, Madison Johnson-Woods, Mandy Lyons, Margaret Stephen, Margo Smith, Mayra Velazquez, Megan Clark, Melissa Yang, Mike Chriszt, Mike Nicovich, Mike Tarnower, Olivia Jones, Pat Prosser, Ralph Evans, Reagan Rogers, Samantha Durfey, Sarah Hankamer, Selena Keehnel, Shannon Geary, Shelby Slayton, Stan Wakefield, Susan Jones, Tina Mullen, Tom Painter, Tyler Adams, Tyler Lewis, and Vivian Zhou.