No, sadly, we’re not actually giving away either the bearded hunk that is Kenn nor the sparkling songbird that is Kim, birding’s best-known couple and the stars of many a bird festival, but - thanks to Kenn and Kim Kaufman’s fantastic generosity - we are able to away the full set of the wonderful and highly-rated ‘Kaufman’ field-guides: that’s the ‘Kaufman’ field-guide to Birds (including the Spanish language version), Mammals, Butterflies, and Insects.

That’s right THREE lucky members of the 10,000 Birds Conservation Club can each win all five guides in our latest members-only competition (I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again - this has got be one of the best ways to spend 25USD on conservation anywhere on the internet).

		Links: The Kaufman Field Guide to Birds of North America The Kaufman Field Guide to Birds of North America: Spanish version The Kaufman Field Guide to Butterflies of North America The Kaufman Field Guide to Insects of North America

How fantastic is that? Yes, fantastic.

And how did we get hold of all these books? Because Kim emailed me and said she and Kenn would like to support the 10,000 Birds Conservation Club that’s how.

Not only do they both work extremely hard to support their own conservation efforts (eg the Black Swamp Bird Observatory and the Ohio Young Birders Club and a raft of other initiatives) but they also want to support other conservation projects. We’re extremely grateful for Kenn and Kim’s support for our own project here on 10,000 Birds - but it’s just typical of how supportive and generous these two people are, and frankly in a world where egos often rule and conservationists and conservation organisations are sometimes only interested in promoting their own agendas I think that is something worth pointing out.

So how can 10,000 Birds Conservation Club members win these five excellent books?

• Firstly of course you need to be a member of the 10,000 Birds Conservation Club because only members can enter (remember, the joining fee is just 25USD and ALL the money - bar PayPal’s costs and postage if we need to send books out ourselves - go to support conservation projects).

• Secondly you need to answer the following question by 24:00 GMT 22nd FEBRUARY 2010.

Inspiring eh (the answer, not my question…).

Further down that same page, incidentally, Kenn writes: “I am convinced that many of the worst challenges we face, both as individuals and as a civilization, could be solved by a greater awareness of the natural world. Problems and disagreements that seem insurmountable when viewed up close become more manageable when we step back and look at them from the perspective of a greater distance. Nature can give us that perspective, reminding us of the abundance and diversity that surrounds us, the connections among all living things, and the timeless cycles of rebirth and renewal in the natural world.”

Please send your answer to charlie10000birds - AT - gmail.com using the email address with which you joined the Conservation Club - and if you could use ‘CClub: kenn’ in the subject line that would be a great help.

The winner will be notified by email no later than THREE days after the closing date.

Incidentally, if any of the winners of this give-away has no need for the Spanish-language bird guide Kenn runs a project which donates the ‘Guia’ via the Black Swamp Bird Observatory to the Sonoran Joint Venture and Connecting Cultures (A program of Environment for the Americas) where the books are used as valuable tools for bird guide training workshops.

Just let Ken or Kimm know that you would like to donate the ‘Guia’ and they’ll take care of the details.

And don’t forget, Conservation Club members can enter (and win?) every single give-away competition we hold for the whole year of their membership - and we don’t keep any of the membership fee, we use it to fund conservation projects! Really, what’s holding you back? Hit that ‘Subscribe’ button now and have a year’s worth of fun for just 25USD/15GBP!

Kenn’s Nature site website is at http://www.kknature.com/

Kenn and Kim’s birding blog is at http://birdingwithkennandkim.blogspot.com/

For more information on Kenn and Kim’s work please click the linked images below:

We’ve also reviewed Kenn’s most recent book and his insect guide:

• Flights against the Sunset
• Kaufman Guide to Insects

The 10,000 Birds Conservation Club has been launched as part of our commitment to supporting projects on Critically Endangered/Endangered birds and to Birdlife International’s ‘Preventing Extinctions Programme‘, which we signed up to as Species Champions in January 2009.

Species Champions are ”a growing community of Companies, Institutions and Individuals who share our concerns and demonstrate their commitment to protecting the planet’s natural heritage by funding the work undertaken by our Species Guardians”.

There are different ‘levels’ of Species Champion (requiring different levels of financial commitment). Whilst we joined the PEP at a ‘lower level’ 10,000 Birds is now officially a Species Champion along with such conservation giants as Sir David Attenborough and the British Birdwatching Fair, conservation minded businesses like Swarovski Optik (who also sponsor 10,000 Birds of course), In Focus, and WildSounds (the Species Champions for the Spoon-billed Sandpiper), and a small number of unsung individuals like Dr. Urs-Peter Stäuble, Ed Keeble, and Peter Smith.

• For a full list of Species Champions please go to BirdLife Species Champions ‘Roll of Honour’.