Marion and Wally Paton have both passed away, but their legacy of welcoming bird enthusiasts to their backyard has informally continued for a number of years now while the family looked for a way to protect the property as a birding mecca.
The good news is that the American Bird Conservancy (ABC) has contracted with the Paton heirs to purchase the property. With combined contributions from ABC, Tucson Aububon and Victor Emanuel Nature Tours, $120,000 was initially raised towards the purchase price. These organizations, looking towards the future, are hoping to raise $300,000 to pay for the property and start an endowment to keep the property maintained. Birders from around the world have come forward with contributions and the balance needed as of September 17 was $50,000. The deadline for this purchase agreement is October 15, 2013.
Once purchased by the American Bird Conservancy, ownership will be transferred to Tucson Audubon to run Paton’s Birders Haven for the birding community in perpetuity.
Birders who are familiar with Patons have been encouraging one another to donate. Here’s a quote from a comment posted by a birder named Edge Wade: “Many a first-time Arizona birder has been escorted into the Paton backyard to spend an hour or two enthralled by the action at ten hummingbird feeders, the constantly changing visitors to the feeders at the far end, or the quiet skulkers on the perimeter or at the water feature. If you’ve been there and gotten one or more life birds, please acknowledge the joy you experienced with a donation.”
For Patagonia, this sale is significant. More than 7,000 people visited Paton’s last year. Their contribution to the local economy is not easy to assess, but it is significant. These people buy food, clothing, gas, and art. They eat in restaurants. They pay for lodging in town or out at Patagonia Lake. Without Paton’s Birders Haven, birders from around the world would not be coming here in such numbers. It’s rather miraculous to think that two generous and simple people could leave such a legacy to a small town.
If you would like to help make this purchase possible, go to http://www.abcbirds.org/paton. You can also look at the impressive number of people who have already donated to the effort.