Bird Man Walking (reprinted from Audubon Chapter Networker)

Inspired by a chance meeting in Tennessee during the 1970s with A Walk Across America author, Peter Jenkins, Brad Storey made a decision that one day he would put on a backpack and set out on a journey of his own.

Nearly thirty-five years later and recently retired, Brad told his family he was going to use his new-found time to walk across America with his dog, Xena. As a family, they agreed that walking for a cause would make his journey even more meaningful. Given Brad’s love for birdwatching, he immediately contacted the National Audubon Society and offered to help raise money for Audubon’s Important Bird Areas (IBAs) Program.

As a devoted birdwatcher, Brad has spent a lifetime inspiring friends and family to learn about birds and the threats they face due to habitat loss from climate change and development. So, starting this September, in Brunswick, GA, Brad and Xena take his message about protecting critical bird habitat across America--mile by mile, flyway by flyway.

From Brunswick, GA they will head west to Montgomery, Alabama and continue west along the Gulf Coast before heading to California. They will be stopping at Audubon Centers and Important Bird Areas along the way. Be sure to follow their progress on Brad’s Facebook Fanpage: Bird Man Walking to see where they’ll be walking, or visit his blog: http://birdmanwalking.wordpress.com/

Brad and Xena are inviting Chapter Members to JOIN them for any part of the walk and enjoy the birds along the way. The family has invited anyone who wants to meet up with Brad during his journey to contact his daughter, Lucy, at lstorey@southuniversity.edu or 412-377-9367.

If you can’t walk with Brad and Xena, but would like to support their effort to protect the most important places in America for birds, please consider making a donation to Audubon’s Important Bird Area’s Program at the following Audubon site: http://audubonaction.org/bradstorey.