Margo spent her childhood years both in New Jersey exploring a nearby brook and getting dirty in the surrounding woods; then summers with her grandmother in Massachusetts who guided her on nature walks on the moors and tidal pools to look for critters, and to the local dump to be entertained by the gulls competing for food morsels.  As a backyard birder, her father, still in his suit after a long work day, [he] would sit in the backyard to wind down after being handed a vodka tonic and binoculars by her mother.  I remember that he showed me his favorite bird, the Wood Thrush, for its beautiful song.  That’s when I realized birding was actually a hobby.    

After graduating from a small upstate NY college, Margo’s parents gifted her a course with the Outward Bound School in Colorado in 1972 where she backpacked through the incredible San Juan Mountains and climbed 14ers for almost 4 weeks.  Still a teen, she made the decision to stay permanently and embarked on a non-traditional career path.

Among some of her diverse jobs and experiences … she worked at Loveland Ski Area in various capacities and spent summers in Alaska commercial fishing for salmon.  She was fascinated by the up-close behavior of the Horned and Tufted Puffins, Humpback whales, Orcas and other marine and land animals from her small 23 ft fishing boat.  

She was also the custom printer at a photo lab before there was Photoshop and at a professional portrait studio, retouched prints and negatives.  

On extensive out-of-state working vacations she sewed spinnaker sails for North Sails in San Diego for the trials of the America’s Cup regatta, learned to windsurf there, and taught it one hot summer at Lake Mead.    

She then finally found her niche in the airline industry for Continental Airlines (when flying was still fun) and took advantage of the generous flight bennies to visit numerous countries every month or two.  

As a water lover she competed in and taught swimming and diving.  Besides windsurfing, she also taught waterskiing and sailing.  

She enjoys kayaking, scuba, hiking – particularly slot canyons, snowshoeing, tennis, volleyball, and camping.  She has ridden the Ride the Rockies bike tour several times, makes personal greeting cards, is a closet play-by-ear piano player and is presently learning harmonica.   

An avid dog lover, she has volunteered with the Evergreen Animal Protective League since the early 90s and has fostered and found homes for many homeless dogs.   

As a member of Evergreen Audubon she has volunteered for the Dipper survey, the Triple by Pass, the Road cleanup and constructing nesting boxes.  Among her other volunteer efforts are Denver Botanic Gardens, Mt Evans Hospice and ski instructor for at-risk children at Winter Park.

She has lived in the Evergreen and Clear Creek county areas for the last 38 years.  Starting as a very casual birder, she and her partner, Don, moved into a home in the Bear Creek Watershed which is noted for overlapping birds seen in both the plains and the mountains.  Surprised and excited at seeing a Lewis’ Woodpecker at their feeder 16 years ago, they both became avid bird enthusiasts and joined the Evergreen Audubon to learn more.  

Margo is looking forward to working with the EA Board.