Diedre, one of the lucky participants, said about the event, “I’ve wanted a tattoo of a bird for a long time, and just had to support Bird Alliance of Oregon.”
Anya, another tattoo recipient, felt this was her way of contributing to make the world a better place. “It can seem hopeless at times— there are so many bad things happening to the environment. This felt like one small thing I can do.”
And local veterinarian, Candace, was happy to support the effort, having seen some of the impact of Bird Alliance of Oregon’s work first-hand. “I’m a local vet, and we have phone calls about injured wildlife and animals brought to our door that we refer to you, instead of having to euthanize them. It’s so good for the community to have your Wildlife Care Center as a resource.”
Seven artists donated their time and skills to make the event a success, offering original artwork that included Double-crested Cormorants, Belted Kingfishers, Steller’s Jays, plants, and even bird skulls.
Bird Alliance of Oregon’s Executive Director, Nick Hardigg, stopped by to bring the artists breakfast and to see the work in action. “It always means something when people choose Bird Alliance of Oregon to make a gift. But when that gift means acquiring a bird tattoo— that’s when you know they’re really serious. You gotta love Portland— there’s not another fundraiser like this one anywhere!”
Birds represent many things to different people, from freedom to a sense of place to a representation of the natural world, making them a perfect and popular tattoo of choice. This time, bird tattoos not only brought beauty to the recipients, but also raised funds to help save native birds across the Oregon landscape.
