Throughout their 31 years of marriage, David Blockstein and Debra Prybyla have shared a love of birding. They go on walks, each carrying their own binoculars, and count the birds they see and even have held various jobs in the field of nature and the environment.
The Takoma Park couple recently joined Nature Forward’s fundraiser and raised money by counting as many birds as they could hear and see in 24 hours. They counted 86 different species while visiting family in Florida. Blockstein was most excited to spot a short-tailed hawk that was soaring near a turkey vulture.
Each time, Blockstein locates a bird, he pulls out a much-used notebook and writes down the type. He later types them into a national site that collects the information to learn where birds live and when they migrate.
The couple enjoy Nature Forward in Chevy Chase and often can be found walking the trails and visiting the book and gift shop. Prybyla worked there for several years, and they were married on the property.
Also participating in the fundraiser was Peihan Orestes, volunteer coordinator at Nature Forward, and her daughter, a 6th grader at North Bethesda Middle School.
