Aves y Agaves
Audubon-El Charco Joint Membership Drive
Sat-Sun, Dec 5–6, Fri-Sun, Dec 11–13, 11am–3pm
Jardín Principal

Getting the most out of nature and your money
By Signe Hammer

Buy you holiday gifts and help support the environment. For the very first time, the Audubon Society and El Charco del Ingenio, our beautiful nature preserve and botanical garden, is offering a fabulous joint membership.

Starting December 5, you can receive the gift of membership to both at a discount of 10 percent.

The membership drive offers a great way to jumpstart your holiday shopping. With the specially designed Aves y Agaves gift certificate, you can give a loved one membership in one or both organizations. In addition to the discount, a surprise bonus gift is included with each membership. What’s more, you can purchase the Audubon’s beautiful bird and butterfly guides to El Charco—perfect gifts for anyone who lives in or loves San Miguel. 

The December membership drive kicks off the first joint project between the Audubon and El Charco, formed to enable the two organizations to achieve shared goals. The culmination of the project will be the gala, Aves y Agaves, an auction on February 14, 2010. A professional auctioneer will auction off nature-themed art made exclusively for the event by more than 35 of San Miguel’s most notable artists. Plans also call for an Antiques Roadshow style event the day before the auction. Start thinking about great pieces of folk art, pottery or furniture you would like to have appraised. And save the dates!

The membership drive and benefit will support important goals the two organizations share: protecting the natural environment, educating people about it, providing nature and wildlife experiences for adults and children, acting as advocates for the environment and working with government at all levels.

El Charco del Ingenio, an ecological preservation zone with the second-largest botanical garden in Mexico, is dedicated to the restoration and conservation of its native ecosystems for the last 18 years. Sociedad Audubon de México, the only Audubon chapter in the country, has been active in San Miguel for over 40 years. Both organizations sponsor a wide range of educational and recreational activities.

El Charco is one of the most popular local destinations for walking, birding, jogging and simply enjoying nature. Audubon’s monthly bird walks and birding tours to destinations around the country are popular and well attended. With your support, these two organizations will continue to restore, preserve and protect San Miguel’s precious natural environment.

Just look for the “Aves y Agaves” banners on tables in the Jardín from 11am to 3pm during the first two weekends in December. Knowledgeable volunteers will be present to answer your questions and help you to join or renew your memberships in the organizations.