SABO was founded in 1996 by Naturalist/Directors Tom Wood and Sheri Williamson with the able and enthusiastic support of volunteer Director Mark Newstrom, a birder and bird bander with more than 30 years experience in Arizona. Mark’s wife Michelle Cook, an owl bander and raptor rehabilitator, joined the board a few years ago. With the acquisition of Ash Canyon Bird Sanctuary in November 2019, SABO’s board expanded to include Tony Battiste and Kirk Stitt of Hereford, Arizona and Olga Harbour and Richard Carlson of Tucson, Arizona. The sanctuary’s informal advisory board includes birding guide Richard Fray of Rio Rico, Arizona, local pollinator advocate Karen LeMay, and longtime SABO supporters Karl Schmitt and Patrick Dome of Casa de San Pedro B&B. We’re grateful for the experience, expertise, and enthusiasm that our board members and advisors bring to the table.

The work we do would be impossible without a cadre of passionate and hard-working volunteers. Our 2019 hummingbird banding team included Chuck and Susan Ostrander, Warren and Kathy Hoffard, Cheryl and Bill Braun, Ginny Anton, Bob Thompson, Rebecca Hooker, and Karen Parker. Our resident volunteer caretakers at Ash Canyon Bird Sanctuary are Tim Blount and Kristy Reske, aided by a growing list of day volunteers.