For the last several years I have given field trips as gifts to friends,
especially younger ones. I was able to acquire a handful of compact
binoculars and I bought several older editions of the Nat. Geo Field guide,
both of which I give away on the field trip. A young neighbor and family
friend just came by, home from her first year in college. She proudly showed
off her new binoculars and we had a long bird chat. She is leading groups of
college students out on birding trips and she attributes her passion to that
gift of a $4 used field guide years ago.

So consider giving the gift of birding, you never know what fire you might
light.

Rob Sandelin
Naturalist, Writer, Teacher
Snohomish