Nocs Provisions & Our Supporters to the Rescue
Since MYBirdClub started in 2014, we’d been using loaner binoculars from our partner MN Ornithologists Union (MOU). What a great gift.
In 2024, shortly after earning our nonprofit status (we could accept tax-deductible donations now!), I noticed a new optics brand – Nocs Provisions – popping up all over social media. The fun colors intrigued my Magpie side and I took a closer look. They looked good on paper.
I ordered one pair of binoculars and one Zoom Tube (monocular) for our young birders and guides to test out. Positive reviews all around (more on why at the end of this post). One young birder who always brought their own, preferred these right away.
Nocs made my day by offering MYBirdClub 40% off as a nonprofit. That made a huge difference and put these great optics within our reach. We ran a GoFundMe in May to buy a set of 20 binoculars and four Zoom Tubes.
Our generous supporters responded (Thank you!) and I sent in our first order.
The monoculars and bins arrived on a Tuesday. After some very happy unboxing — and loving the 100% recyclable packaging — I spent 3–4 hours connecting all the new straps so they’d be ready for our Sunday outing.
Saturday one of our guides picked up tote bags full of our new binoculars and monoculars along with an admonition to “please take pictures.” They also grabbed our tote bag of milestone charms, lanyards, laser pointers, stickers… everything else MYBirdClub owned. We were all set to get these great optics into the hands of our birders
Sunday morning at 9:20 a.m. the phone rang.
With a very shaky voice the guide told me that everything had been stolen. Everything.
The guide was shaken. I was shocked. But our outing was in 30 minutes. No time to freak out.
The field trip happened as usual because we still had our loaner binoculars – thank you again, MOU. Later that day, sitting at my daughter’s softball game, it finally hit me: All our shiny new binoculars and monoculars and all our supplies — literally everything we owned — was gone.
We were wiped out.
I quickly let our supporters know what had happened and gratefully saw new donations come in. But we had a long way to go.
Monday afternoon, after looking at our finances and totaling up our new and reserve donations - I thought could swing a new set. I sent a new order into Nocs rather morosely explaining what had happened. Then I dug into inventorying everything else that was lost and figuring out what I could replace.
Taking a break, I grumpily told my husband, “You know that story when something bad happens to someone and a famous person hears about it and saves the day? Yeah, that’s what I want to happen.” We agreed this was unlikely — how would Ryan Reynolds even hear about it?
Shortly after 3:00 my husband stepped into my office and found me in tears. I just pointed at my computer screen where he read this email from Nocs:
“Hello Amy,
“We're very sorry about what happened, but because of your non-profit status, we would like to donate the products that will replace the stolen units.
“Regards,
“Jenny”
My hero-to-the-rescue fantasy happened. Nocs Provisions Happened.
From nothing to 20 binoculars and 4 monoculars in the blink of an email.
Now we would have the new binoculars and monoculars we needed AND the funds to replace everything else that was lost.
Thank you Nocs Provisions – You are my hero.
Shout out to StickerMule.com who gave us a $25 credit toward a replacement purchase.
To MOU (MOUMN.org) for loaning us binoculars for all these years.
And to our individual supporters who generously donated since day 1 of the Fundraiser — many a 2nd time when they heard about the theft.
Additional donated funds will be used to replace all the other supplies that were stolen.
Donated funds will also be used to buy our next set set of binoculars and monoculars.
We can always use more support. Every dollar goes directly to getting more kids outside discovering birds and nature.
Through it all MYBirdClub has kept birding.
All this continued support is helping us take even more kids birding (we'd used up our 2024 grant funds).
In the two weeks since that fateful June 1 morning, we guided or presented 14 programs (18 if you count 4 programs for a camp on a single day). We also led our first free birdwatching outing for Big Brothers and Big Sisters!
Thanks to all this support this story really does have a happy ending!
Why We Chose Nocs.
· Light weight – Much lighter for kids to carry. We packed our previous bins into two rolling suitcases. Ten in a rolling suitcase came in at a whopping 28 pounds. 10 Nocs Field Issue Bins and two Zoom Tubes fit into a tote bag and weigh just 11 pounds.
· Powerful optics – Both the bins and the zoom tubes are 8x32 offering more magnification than our 7x35 loaners. They offer a crisper, brighter view as well.
· A separate diopter ring — On our loaner bins, the right eye-piece is the diopter (the fine focus ring). Every spring Amy would sit down with a load of electrical tape and tape all the diopters in place because the kids twisted them all the time ruining their focus.
· Twist out eyecups — This makes it easier for the kids to adjust versus rubber flip down eyecups. Rubber eyecups also eventually wear out and peel off.
· Better fit for smaller faces — A smaller interpupillary distance fit those little faces better and also make it easier for little hands to reach the focus knob.
· Textured for a good grip
· Cool colors — 100% no brainer there.
· Monoculars — We discovered some kids prefer these. Plus, they seem to be easier for our youngest birders to use.
· Lifetime Warranty
· Water-proof and Fog-proof
If you decide to order from Nocs Provisions, you can use the code MYBirdClub20 to save 20%. Plus, they have offered us a small commission to help us take even more kids birding. Let them know MYBirdClub sent you.