Fundraiser for the birds: the eighth annual Chips and Chirps fundraiser

The Alabama Wildlife Center will present the eighth annual Chips & Chirps fundraiser event on Saturday, August 10 at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens from 7 to 10 p.m. 

One of the center’s largest fundraisers of the year, the event is sponsored by their junior board of directors, known as the Raptor Force. 

“This is always a pretty fun event that people seem to enjoy,” said Doug Adair, executive director of the Alabama Wildlife Center.

The event will feature live music from High Tide, casino-style games, food, drinks and a silent auction that will feature everything from original artwork to vacation packages. 

The education ambassador raptors will also be on hand to meet guests and take photos with them. 

“We are able to use our rehabilitation work as the backdrop to introduce guests up close and personal to these beautiful animals that call Alabama home,” Adair said. 

All funds raised go back to Alabama Wildlife Center, which is an independent 501(c)3 nonprofit and is the state’s oldest and largest wildlife rehab and education center. Their mission is to rescue, rehabilitate and release wild native birds and present conservation education programming to schools and other groups to raise awareness of the wildlife resources throughout Alabama.

“We take care of almost 2,000 patients each year from over 100 different species,” Adair said. “We also present almost 500 conservation education programs each year throughout state to audiences of over 100,000.”

Tickets for Chips & Chirps are $50 each and may be purchased through the AWC website at alabamawildlifecenter.org or by calling the office at 663-7930. While tickets will be available at the door, Adair encourages pre-purchasing them since the event is popular and space is limited.