On May 10, 2025, the Raven LunaChicks will compete in the 42nd annual World Series of Birding (WSB), a 24-hour competition to find as many bird species as possible in New Jersey. The all-women, DVOC team – Linda Widdop (captain), Debbie Beer, Lori Gladulich, and Patty Rehn – will criss-cross the state from midnight to midnight, looking for owls, rails, waders, sparrows, thrushes, warblers, flycatchers, orioles, wrens, cuckoos, woodpeckers, raptors, sandpipers, plovers, gulls, terns, and more.
First held in 1984, the WSB has grown to be the largest fundraiser of the New Jersey Audubon Society, and a powerful force for avian conservation. Dozens of adult and youth teams compete in multiple categories, culminating in one big day for birds and community. On the WSB, the Raven LunaChicks race to cover as many miles and habitats as possible while following maps in the dark, listening hard for grunts, hoots, and chirps, snarfing down snacks and sandwiches between stops, jogging through wet grass and rocky paths, peeing in bushes, and maintaining a sense of humor when severely deprived of sleep! We bird hard, and have a blast while raising money to support birds and birders. If you have the means, we encourage donations to the DVOC at this weblink: Donating to the DVOC | Delaware Valley Ornithological Club. Choose your favorite activity, and indicate “WSB Raven LunaChicks” in the section “tell us why you’re donating” (optional) of the payment process. The team will provide an update after the big day is complete! Thanks to everyone for supporting, cheerleading, providing bird intel, donating, and being part of the wonderful world of birding. We’re all in this together, and the Raven LunaChicks is thrilled to take part in the fun!