This week, our community came together to celebrate someone who has shaped the Norman Bird Sanctuary in countless ways. To everyone who joined us to honor Jay Manning at the “Manning Migration,” thank you.
It was an evening filled with laughter, stories, heartfelt toasts, and just the right amount of good-nature roasting. Seeing so many current and former Board and staff members, volunteers, friends, and supporters gathered together was a powerful reminder that while conservation is rooted in the land, it is sustained by the people who care for it. Four years ago, Jay was instrumental in launching the Conservation Crew in response to a growing need for helping hands and a vision for deeper educational engagement. Caring for more than 300 acres of protected land, miles of trails, historic buildings, gardens, and wildlife habitat takes an incredible amount of work and our small but mighty properties staff simply couldn’t do it alone.
The Conservation Crew is a multi-generational group of year-round volunteers. What began as a small group of volunteers willing to spend a few hours outdoors has grown into extraordinary community of people who show up week after week to care for the Sanctuary and learn about our conservation practices. Together, they remove invasive plants, maintain trails, repair infrastructure, restore habitats, and tackle projects that make this place healthier and more welcoming for everyone who visits. But ask anyone who is part of the Conservation Crew, and they’ll tell you it’s about much more than the work. It’s about friendships formed over wheelbarrows and pruning shears, conversations shared on the trail, and the deep satisfaction of caring for a place that gives so much back to all of us. Conservation Crew members are a critical force behind invasive plant species management.
As new Conservation Crew volunteer D’Ante Carter recently wrote, Norman Bird Sanctuary is “a place that not only seeks to grow and preserve the local ecosystem but also seeks to grow and preserve local community.” We couldn’t agree more. The Manning Migration was a testament to that community. Together we raised $3,550 to support the Conservation Crew, the work that they do, and to keep them clad in the famous “Con Crew orange” gear.
We are grateful to everyone who attended, donated, volunteered, and helped make the evening such a meaningful celebration of Jay and the Conservation Crew. Conservation Crew members designed and built the new Caterpillar Enclosure. As Jay begins his well-earned retirement in early August, the work continues. If you’ve been looking for a way to make a difference, we’d love to have you join us.
Become a Norman Bird Sanctuary member, volunteer with the Conservation Crew, or make a donation that supports community and conservation going hand in hand. However you choose to contribute to the Sanctuary, you are helping ensure that both this remarkable landscape and the community that cares for it continue to flourish for generations to come.
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