What to do with your old Binoculars

Many times we birders buy a new pair of binoculars or a new spotting scope while we still have a usable older model. Sometimes we keep that one as our emergency auxilliary backup. But overall, it can be a waste to leave a perfectly good pair of binoculars or a spotting scope languishing in a closet when it could be doing an enormous amount of good. Some choices:

• Donate it to a local school. Check first to make sure a teacher actually wants and will use it.
• Donate it to a local nature center. Again, check first to make sure it will actually be used.
• Donate it to Birders' Exchange. This great non-profit program operated by the American Birding Association takes new and used birding equipment and educational materials and matches them with the local scientists, conservationists, and educators working to conserve Neotropical migratory birds and their habitats in Latin America and the Caribbean. Such items are also critical for community outreach and education. Your old birding equipment can be used to protect the northern birds you love on their tropical wintering grounds, and protect native tropical birds as well.