Ruth Russell

Ruth is a perfect volunteer to spotlight this season! Besides her team winning the first-ever Tucson Audubon Birdathon (and later going on to hold the record for most species seen), Ruth has also been a devoted Tucson Audubon volunteer for more than 30 years! In this time, Ruth has been involved in myriad projects and programs, was a driving force behind developing the Birdathon fundraiser 25 years ago, and served as the Chair of the Board of Directors for four years (she’s now the Board Secretary). Ruth is especially excited to be a volunteer and board member today, as Tucson Audubon and National Audubon are both launching new strategic plans that entail new and exciting endeavors for the future of our environment.

Ruth enjoys volunteering at Tucson Audubon for a reason we can all relate to: birds and conservation are deeply important to her. When Ruth began birding, she increasingly discovered that this recreational activity led to an interest in conservation. Her service and involvement have grown from there.

One of Ruth’s favorite places to go birding is also one of Tucson’s most convenient, Sweetwater Wetlands. Besides the bird watching, Ruth enjoys seeing people take pleasure in an outdoor destination that the city and county have worked together to develop. Does Ruth have a favorite bird? It’s quite often what she is looking at in the moment, though Black-throated Sparrows and Cactus Wrens are especially interesting to watch and remind her of how lucky Tucson is to have these inquisitive species.

In their spare time, Ruth and her husband Steve are Master Hummingbird Banders. They have gone through an extensive formal process (state permits, federal licensing, and other certifications) and are two of only about 150 people authorized to band hummingbirds in the country. For about 20 years, they have been banding hummingbirds primarily in Colorado, but don’t think they are snowbirds! In fact, Ruth enjoys summers in Tucson, especially when the monsoons come and transform this arid desert into a lush valley. Ruth has plenty of other hobbies too; she sews, reads (she’s currently hooked on Thinking Fast and Slow), does crafts, and gardens.

Ruth is a fountain of knowledge on all things Tucson Audubon-related, but I just had one more question. Does Ruth have any pointers for people thinking of participating in Birdathon? After years of experience, Ruth has switched her sponsor “ask” strategy. Rather than pledge per species, she urges supporters to donate what they can. In return, Ruth guarantees she’ll do her best. That way, even if the chosen Birdathon day turns out to be less successful than hoped (if it’s cold or rainy, etc.), everyone is still happy in the end. We at Tucson Audubon are so happy and fortunate to have Ruth as a volunteer, board member, supporter, and friend. 

2011 Spotlight Volunteers

Liz Harrison. [Liz] receives the 2011 Volunteer of the Year Award for her hard work and dedication to the organization and the field...See full spotlight in the January-March 2012 Vermilion Flycatcher.

Sherry Massie. [Sherry] conducted research on software for our library to soon bring our collection online, and has put together procedures for the future of our library to make it more accessible to our members... See full spotlight in the October-December 2011 Vermilion Flycatcher.

Shirley S. Davis. Fifty years of Christmas Bird Counts, five years for the Tucson Bird Count, as well as many years of banding birds in Connecticut, show Shirley to be a die-hard advanced level birder… See full spotlight in the July-September 2011 Vermilion Flycatcher.

Jessie Bhangoo. Jessie is not a birder, but a technical guru and problem solver, and most notably a great guy... See full spotlight in the April-June 2011 Vermilion Flycatcher.