The Minnesota River Valley Audubon Chapter (MRVAC) invites you to join us for the MRVAC holiday auction this Thursday (Nov. 9) at The Richardson Nature Center, 8737 E Bush Lake Rd, in Bloomington.

The auction will begin at 7 p.m. and doors open at 6 p.m. for those who want to come early for snacks or to scope out some of the nifty auction items.  Here is your chance to walk away with your own pair of Swarovski binoculars. There is no minimum bid on the used Swarovskis, so someone could walk away with a treasure for a bargain. Thanks to Vortex for two pairs of brand new binoculars, and there are other binoculars, as well.

There will be about 200 books on birds and nature, including many field guides (foreign and domestic), special topics, and some old classics.   One of the signal items up for auction is a rare collection of Cornell Labs Birds of North American, a set of some 700 pamphlets by the top experts on each species.   Steve Weston, one of the key auction item curators, said he couldn’t find another copy anywhere on the web.  There also is a first edition of T.S. Roberts’ 1932 Birds of Minnesota.

The first 50 people will get a free bag of bird seed, compliments of Wild Birds Unlimited in Eden Prairie.  Other auction items include bird houses and feeders, some incredible nature art, including a signed Walter Breckenridge, J. J. Audubon prints, and a watercolor by Lars Jonsson.  There are many non-birding gifts, including tickets to Chanhassen Theater, the Minnesota Zoo, the Science Museum, and food basket from Lunds & Byerlys.  Make sure you bring a shopping bag to bring your treasures home.

This auction will not be simulcast on Zoom.