NYC: Audubon and AOL Visits

How many nice people can we meet in a day?
Save the Gulf: Olivia's Bird Illustrations has taken us to new places. Yesterday we went to visit the folks at Audubon and AOL who gave us a special afternoon. The National Audubon Society hosted a sweet presentation, showering Olivia with confetti and thoughtful gifts, even putting one of her illustrations on a chocolate cake. One of Olivia's favorite parts? Seeing the elephant-sized folio of James Audubon's prints. Jackson's favorite? Receiving a chicken cap. Meanwhile, Audubon president Dr. Frank Gill chatted with James about alternative energy and the environment and Chuck Remington served as master of ceremonies. We felt right at home and Olivia reveled in her status as Audubon Ambassador. Thank you Taryn for forwarding some pics.
Afterwards, we headed over to AOL where we received a tour of their music and video studios and their newsroom. The kids took a turn on AOL's communal ping pong table, but nearly injured a few programmers with their stray shots. Our tour was followed by a lovely dinner at Otto, a Mario Batali restaurant, where we got to know the people who have made this fundraiser truly take flight. The AOL team of Blair, Katie, Nikki, Dan, Eric, Anibal and Allie was an impressive group of forward-thinking professionals who have the know-how to shape the collective consciousness of the future. We felt honored to have had the pleasure to work with both groups on this project which has now raised over $165,000 for Gulf recovery efforts.
On a side note, congratulations to both Audubon and AOL for having USGBC certification plaques for their offices, indicating their commitment to sustainable buildings.