Friends of Whitefish Point

### Context Profile for Friends of Whitefish Point

1. **Organization Mission & Cause**:
   - **Mission**: Friends of Whitefish Point is dedicated to the preservation and promotion of the natural and cultural resources of Whitefish Point, particularly focusing on bird conservation and education. They aim to foster a deeper understanding and appreciation of the area's unique wildlife, especially migratory birds and owls.
   - **Cause**: The organization emphasizes the importance of bird conservation, particularly through their owl banding program, which serves both research and educational purposes.

2. **Type of Activities**:
   - **Events**: They organize birding tours, particularly in the fall, which include guided experiences tailored to participants' interests in birdwatching.
   - **Fundraising Campaigns**: The organization runs matching campaigns to support their initiatives, such as the owl banding program.
   - **Community Programs**: Educational programs and outreach initiatives aimed at increasing awareness about local wildlife and conservation efforts.

3. **Tone of Voice**:
   - The tone is **friendly**, **inspiring**, and **informative**. The language used is accessible and welcoming, encouraging participation and engagement from bird enthusiasts of all skill levels. The content often conveys excitement about nature and conservation.

4. **Emoji Usage**:
   - The website and email communications do not prominently feature emojis. The tone remains professional and straightforward, focusing on clear communication rather than informal or playful elements.

5. **Key Facts**:
   - **Founding Info**: Specific founding details are not provided on the website.
   - **Scale**: The organization has conducted 63 email campaigns and has multiple forms for event registrations.
   - **Impact Metrics**: The success of fundraising campaigns, such as matching campaigns, indicates strong community support.
   - **Volunteer Info**: Volunteers play a crucial role in guiding tours and supporting research efforts, as evidenced by the profiles of their guides who have extensive experience and dedication to the organization.

6. **Writing Guidelines**:
   - **Style**: Use clear, concise language that is engaging and informative. Aim for a tone that is friendly and welcoming, making sure to inspire enthusiasm for birdwatching and conservation.
   - **Structure**: Organize content with headings and bullet points for clarity. Use personal stories or testimonials to connect with the audience.
   - **Call to Action**: Encourage participation in events and support for fundraising efforts. Highlight the impact of contributions on conservation initiatives.

This context profile serves as a comprehensive guide for generating personalized and effective content for Friends of Whitefish Point, ensuring alignment with their mission, tone, and activities.

LXCL:Tour leaders: Alison Vilag &amp; Chris NeriLimited to 12 participantsSeptember tour emphases:&nbsp;<ul class="lxcl-ul"><li value="1" class="lxcl-listItem" dir="ltr">Red-necked Grebe migration at Whitefish Point- more Red-necked Grebes pass Whitefish Point in fall than anywhere else in North America.</li><li value="2" class="lxcl-listItem" dir="ltr">A great assortment of warblers, sparrows, and other songbirds in the woods.</li><li value="3" class="lxcl-listItem" dir="ltr">With some luck, jaegers or Sabine’s Gull at Whitefish Point.</li></ul>

September 23-24, 2025 birding tour

LXCL:Tour leaders: Alison Vilag &amp; Alec OlivierLimited to 12 participantsOctober tour emphases:&nbsp;<ul class="lxcl-ul"><li value="1" class="lxcl-listItem" dir="ltr">Peak waterbird migration at Whitefish Point, with highlights such as scoters and Long-tailed Ducks passing through in large numbers. </li><li value="2" class="lxcl-listItem" dir="ltr">Northern finches and northern forest owls could be showing up at this time.&nbsp;</li><li value="3" class="lxcl-listItem" dir="ltr">Some of Michigan’s most unprecedented vagrant birds have shown up in October at Whitefish Point.</li></ul>

October 20-21, 2025 birding tour

<div data-sqsp-text-block-content="" fr-original-style="" id="isPasted" style="width: 100%; line-height: 1.5; box-sizing: inherit;">We are excited to offer two fall birding tours in the greater Whitefish Point area this coming fall. Tour itineraries will be tailored to our participants&rsquo; priorities, offering opportunities to pursue regional specialties (such as Spruce Grouse, Black-backed Woodpecker, and Red Crossbill), to witness migration&rsquo;s rush at Whitefish Point, and to enjoy other elements of this area&rsquo;s unique natural life. Included with each tour is an evening visit to the Friends of Whitefish Point&rsquo;s owl banding station! September tour emphases:&nbsp;<ul data-rte-list="default" fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Red-necked Grebe migration at Whitefish Point- more Red-necked Grebes pass Whitefish Point in fall than anywhere else in North America.</li><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><span fr-original-style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;" id="isPasted" style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; box-sizing: inherit;">A great assortment of warblers, sparrows, and other songbirds in the woods.</li><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">With some luck, jaegers or Sabine&rsquo;s Gull at Whitefish Point.</li></ul>October tour emphases:&nbsp;<ul data-rte-list="default" fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">P<span fr-original-style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;" id="isPasted" style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; box-sizing: inherit;">eak waterbird migration at Whitefish Point, with highlights such as scoters and Long-tailed Ducks passing through in large numbers.&nbsp;</li><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Northern finches and owls could be showing up around this time.&nbsp;</li><li fr-original-style="" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Some of Michigan&rsquo;s most unprecedented vagrant birds have shown up in October at Whitefish Point.&nbsp;</li></ul>We invite and welcome birders of all skill levels: we will focus on building identification skills, sharing the natural history of this place and the flora and fauna we encounter, and enjoying fun, full days in the field doing what we all love: watching birds. The tours will not be physically strenuous, though we&rsquo;ll likely be spending more time in the woods (and on the shore!) than we&rsquo;ll spend driving, and we will be walking over uneven terrain and sand. 100% of the tour fee will support the Friends of Whitefish Point&rsquo;s long-term owl banding program. Included in the cost is two full days of birding with experienced guides and a visit to the owl banding station one night; light refreshments and warm beverages will also be provided. Lodging and meals are not included, though we&rsquo;ll be taking lunch and dinner together. Max group size is 12 participants with two group leaders. Two local hotels, Paradise Lakefront Lodge &amp; Paradise Shores Cabins, have <span fr-original-style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;" id="isPasted" style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; box-sizing: inherit;">graciously provided&nbsp;provided participants with a 10% off coupon during these tours. You will receive the discount information in your confirmation email. Our GuidesAlison Vilag fell in love with Whitefish Point when she was eight while she watched the lighthouse&#39;s beam sweep over a perched Great Gray Owl. Since then, birds have taken Alison around the continent: she spent two years guiding birders and photographers in Alaska&#39;s Pribilof Islands, she was a Kirtland&#39;s Warbler tour guide for three years, and in November and December she will conduct Monterey Bay&#39;s Pt. Pinos Seawatch for her fourth consecutive fall. But Whitefish Point is the place she&#39;s loved the longest: she conducted the waterbird count there for five migrations, was Piping Plover monitor for a summer, and, though she currently works full-time in Traverse City&#39;s hospitality industry, she makes sure to steal away to the Point as often as she can. <span fr-original-style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;" id="isPasted" style="font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; box-sizing: inherit;">It is important to Alison to create meaningful experiences with people, birds, and places. She is excited for the opportunities these tours present to do just that.&nbsp;Alison is the Outreach Specialist for the Friends of Whitefish Point. A lifelong birder, Chris Neri became fascinated with owls when he was 8 years old after reading the Hardy Boy&rsquo;s book &ldquo;The Clue of the Screeching Owl&rdquo;. His field research career began in 1990s when he was introduced to owl banding at the Cape May Owl Banding Project. Since then he has spent over 70 field seasons working on a variety of avian research projects across the country. He arrived at Whitefish Point as an owl bander in 1999. Chris has co-authored several peer-reviewed papers on owls and he is passionate about documenting all the animals that occur at the Point, with a special interest in moths. As a nature photographer, Whitefish Point provides many opportunities for Chris to capture birds and other wildlife with a camera. He&rsquo;s excited to bring over two decades of field experience &amp; his photographic experience to these tours. Chris is the Owl Banding Manager for the Friends of Whitefish Point. Alec Olivier first visited Whitefish Point in 2005 at the age of 4. Since then, he has birded around the country. Nothing has fascinated him as much as migration at Whitefish Point. The excitement of not knowing what rare bird or migration event is around the corner is enough to keep him coming back. He&rsquo;s been fortunate to spend a season as the fall Waterbird Counter at Whitefish Point. In addition, he spent two summers as the Piping Plover Monitor and a season as the Spring Field Intern. Alec has guided at the Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival as well as multiple group and private tours in the eastern UP. He is currently a member of the Michigan Bird Records Committee. Alec is a dedicated volunteer for the Friends of Whitefish Point, and takes every opportunity he can get to go out with people and show them how unique and special this place is.&nbsp;</div>

Dear <span contenteditable="false" data-custom-variable="{{firstname}}" fr-original-class="fr-deletable styled-tag-chip" fr-original-style="" style="background-color: rgb(248, 248, 255); border: 1px solid rgb(191, 191, 255); border-radius: 4px; color: rgb(42, 42, 196); padding: 1px 8px; font-size: 11px; display: inline-block; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: anywhere; user-select: none; box-sizing: inherit;">First name , Thank you for your registration for Friends of Whitefish Point&#39;s fall tour!&nbsp; Two local hotels have graciously provided participants with a 10% discount for the period of both September 22-24 and 24-25th (to those attending the house concert), and for October 19-21. If you call to book a room, just let them know you are attending one of those events for the Friends of Whitefish Point and that we&#39;ve advertised the discount:Paradise Lakefront Lodge: https://paradiselakefrontlodge.com/ 906-492-3770Paradise Shores Cabins: https://www.paradiseshorescabins.com/ 906-492-3320 Here is the rough itinerary for the Friends of Whitefish Point birding tour you have signed up for. Hopefully, you all are looking forward to this at least as much as I am. The good news: the weather looks great. Light north winds, clear, with temperatures in the upper 50s-low 60s. The bad news: unfortunately, as of this week, mosquitoes are still a prominent ecological feature in the eastern U.P. While this is something that migrant songbirds are certainly celebrating, I cannot say the same for myself. Please make sure you&rsquo;ve got long sleeves and pants, good shoes, a hat, and a mosquito repellent that works for you. Even a headnet might not be overkill. We&rsquo;ll meet at 7:15 Tuesday morning at the parking lot for Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum/Whitefish Point&nbsp;(coordinates: https://maps.app.goo.gl/GyQw49C1VTBGotPP6). I drive an old, tan Toyota Tacoma with a topper. From there, we&rsquo;ll make the short walk to the waterbird count at Whitefish Point. Sunrise on Superior is always worth seeing, and the first hours of light are usually the best hours for seeing waterbirds migrating past the point. Though we&rsquo;ll hopefully find some loons and grebes resting on the water, the majority of the waterbirds we&rsquo;ll be seeing here are flybys. Chris and I will walk you through the features we look for when identifying waterbirds and flight, and we&rsquo;ll hopefully have ample opportunity to practice those identifications. Bring your spotting scope if you&rsquo;ve got one! :)&nbsp;While at Whitefish Point, we&rsquo;ll also walk the beach in search of shorebirds and poke around the woods to look for landbird migrants. If we&#39;re lucky, we might even happen across a roosting owl. Regardless, it&rsquo;s a time of year when you never know what might pop into view!&nbsp;From there, we&rsquo;ll make our way to the town of Paradise. The amount of time we spend birding at Whitefish Point will dictate the places we stop, but we might stop to scan the gulls that often rest on the breakwater at the harbor, try for Red Crossbills and Spruce Grouse along Vermilion Road, or check the Shelldrake Flooding. We&rsquo;ll take lunch at Tahquamenon Falls Brewpub, then spend the afternoon exploring the greater Tahquamenon Falls area, focusing in particular on tracking down a Spruce Grouse&ndash;and also enjoying the fall colors that are beginning to appear.&nbsp;We&rsquo;ll take dinner at the Wheelhouse Diner in Paradise, and then have a few hours&rsquo; break before reconvening at 9:00 PM at Whitefish Point to visit the owl banding station and learn about the research conducted by the Friends of Whitefish Point.&nbsp; Wednesday morning&rsquo;s start time and location will be decided on at dinner on Tuesday, and will be dictated by what we saw Tuesday. We could start at Whitefish Point again, we could try for Spruce Grouse again, or we could drive out to the lifesaving station at Vermilion Road, which is a beautiful, underbirded site that, in fall, is often a vagrant trap.&nbsp;We&rsquo;ll take lunch together in Paradise&ndash;either at a food truck or at The Inn, depending on what you all prefer. After lunch, we&rsquo;ll bird some south-of-town spots like the Tahquamenon Rivermouth and Lone Pine Road. This will be a flexible day: participants are welcome to leave after lunch, and I am happy to continue the tour into the evening if there are particular target species or sites that anyone would like to revisit.&nbsp; Here are some general notes: * Breakfast: We will be providing snacks, water, and coffee to tide everyone over till lunch, but if you need a more substantial breakfast, please provision as necessary! The grocery selection in Paradise is limited (Paradise Food Pantry Market has the most options.)   * Bathroom availability: We&rsquo;ll never be more than 10 minutes from a restroom, though in some cases, that restroom will be a vault toilet. Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum has great bathrooms&ndash;convenient for when we&rsquo;re birding at Whitefish Point&ndash;but they&rsquo;re not open until 9:00 AM, so that&rsquo;s something to keep in mind. * We will be keeping and sharing eBird checklists with anyone who wants them, and we will provide an end-of-tour recap, too. * Carpooling: My vehicle does not accommodate passengers, but if any of you would like to carpool from Paradise, please feel free to work that out amongst yourselves! * Gas: Getting gas in the town of Paradise feels like extortion, so I recommend fueling up in Trout Lake. Even the gas station between Paradise and Tahquamenon Falls (Gene&rsquo;s Tahquamenon General Store) is consistently 15-20 cents cheaper than Paradise, so if anyone needs gas mid-tour, that is my recommendation. * Bring a headlamp or phone flashlight for the visit to the owl banding station! * Most places we will visit do not require entry fees, with the exception of Tahquamenon Falls State Park, which charges a fee unless you have the Michigan recreation passport. For your communication needs before the tour, I work odd hours, and text is preferred, though I am available for calls before 9:00 AM and after 10:00 PM. &nbsp;Chris and I are looking forward to sharing fall migration at Whitefish Point with you all! Sincerely,Alison VilagOutreach Specialist269-281-1771<a fr-original-style="" href="//www.friendsofwp.org" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="text-decoration-color: initial; user-select: auto; box-sizing: inherit;" target="_blank">www.friendsofwp.org</a> or<a fr-original-style="" href="mailto:vilag.alison@gmail.com" rel="noopener noreferrer noopener noreferrer noopener noreferrer" style="text-decoration-color: initial; user-select: auto; box-sizing: inherit;" target="_blank">vilag.alison@gmail.com</a>

<div>We are excited to offer two fall birding tours in the greater Whitefish Point area this coming fall. Tour itineraries will be tailored to our participants’ priorities, offering opportunities to pursue regional specialties (such as Spruce Grouse, Black-backed Woodpecker, and Red Crossbill), to witness migration’s rush at Whitefish Point, and to enjoy other elements of this area’s unique natural life. Included with each tour is an evening visit to the Friends of Whitefish Point’s owl banding station! September tour emphases: <ul><li>Red-necked Grebe migration at Whitefish Point- more Red-necked Grebes pass Whitefish Point in fall than anywhere else in North America.</li><li>A great assortment of warblers, sparrows, and other songbirds in the woods.</li><li>With some luck, jaegers or Sabine’s Gull at Whitefish Point.</li></ul>October tour emphases: <ul><li>Peak waterbird migration at Whitefish Point, with highlights such as scoters and Long-tailed Ducks passing through in large numbers. </li><li>Northern finches and owls could be showing up around this time. </li><li>Some of Michigan’s most unprecedented vagrant birds have shown up in October at Whitefish Point. </li></ul>We invite and welcome birders of all skill levels: we will focus on building identification skills, sharing the natural history of this place and the flora and fauna we encounter, and enjoying fun, full days in the field doing what we all love: watching birds. The tours will not be physically strenuous, though we’ll likely be spending more time in the woods (and on the shore!) than we’ll spend driving, and we will be walking over uneven terrain and sand. 100% of the tour fee will support the Friends of Whitefish Point’s long-term owl banding program. Included in the cost is two full days of birding with experienced guides and a visit to the owl banding station one night; light refreshments and warm beverages will also be provided. Lodging and meals are not included, though we’ll be taking lunch and dinner together. Max group size is 12 participants with two group leaders. Two local hotels, Paradise Lakefront Lodge &amp; Paradise Shores Cabins, have graciously provided provided participants with a 10% off coupon during these tours. You will receive the discount information in your confirmation email. Our GuidesAlison Vilag fell in love with Whitefish Point when she was eight while she watched the lighthouse's beam sweep over a perched Great Gray Owl. Since then, birds have taken Alison around the continent: she spent two years guiding birders and photographers in Alaska's Pribilof Islands, she was a Kirtland's Warbler tour guide for three years, and in November and December she will conduct Monterey Bay's Pt. Pinos Seawatch for her fourth consecutive fall. But Whitefish Point is the place she's loved the longest: she conducted the waterbird count there for five migrations, was Piping Plover monitor for a summer, and, though she currently works full-time in Traverse City's hospitality industry, she makes sure to steal away to the Point as often as she can. It is important to Alison to create meaningful experiences with people, birds, and places. She is excited for the opportunities these tours present to do just that. Alison is the Outreach Specialist for the Friends of Whitefish Point. A lifelong birder, Chris Neri became fascinated with owls when he was 8 years old after reading the Hardy Boy’s book “The Clue of the Screeching Owl”. His field research career began in 1990s when he was introduced to owl banding at the Cape May Owl Banding Project. Since then he has spent over 70 field seasons working on a variety of avian research projects across the country. He arrived at Whitefish Point as an owl bander in 1999. Chris has co-authored several peer-reviewed papers on owls and he is passionate about documenting all the animals that occur at the Point, with a special interest in moths. As a nature photographer, Whitefish Point provides many opportunities for Chris to capture birds and other wildlife with a camera. He’s excited to bring over two decades of field experience &amp; his photographic experience to these tours. Chris is the Owl Banding Manager for the Friends of Whitefish Point. Alec Olivier first visited Whitefish Point in 2005 at the age of 4. Since then, he has birded around the country. Nothing has fascinated him as much as migration at Whitefish Point. The excitement of not knowing what rare bird or migration event is around the corner is enough to keep him coming back. He’s been fortunate to spend a season as the fall Waterbird Counter at Whitefish Point. In addition, he spent two summers as the Piping Plover Monitor and a season as the Spring Field Intern. Alec has guided at the Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival as well as multiple group and private tours in the eastern UP. He is currently a member of the Michigan Bird Records Committee. Alec is a dedicated volunteer for the Friends of Whitefish Point, and takes every opportunity he can get to go out with people and show them how unique and special this place is. </div>

Fall Birding Tours

Whitefish Point

September 23-24, 2025 birding tour

US$200

October 20-21, 2025 birding tour

US$200