For more than two years, 11-year-old Xaviana Leis has been on a mission to help wild birds.

In October, the fifth grader self-published and illustrated a bird guide, the profits from which go to the Owl Moon Raptor Center, a bird rescue center in Boyds, in Montgomery County, where Xaviana volunteered. At the center, she helped transport birds of prey like bald eagles and osprey.

“I’m very dedicated to everything I do, and I like to set high goals,” said Xaviana, who along with her two sisters, Dellalyn, 9, and Enzlie, 5, is home-schooled by her mother, Megan Dombi-Leis, in Edgewater.

Xaviana’s wildlife preservation efforts began in 2020 when a local bird rescuer was invited to speak to her Girl Scout troop. The talk stuck with Xaviana, who wanted to do more. The first time she traveled with a bald eagle while working at Owl Moon, she was “screaming on the inside,” Megan Dombi-Leis said of her daughter. The group had to keep the car very quiet so as not to startle the bird.

The idea for a book came about as a project for Xaviana’s Girl School troop. The troop created EcoFest, a community event to spread awareness on topics such as pollution, fostering pets and, of course, wild birds. Each scout set up an information and activity table. They invited local organizations to teach people about their causes.

“We were able to spread a lot of good information at EcoFest,” Xaviana said. “I wrote and illustrated a homemade bird guide to pass out at EcoFest. I also gave my original paintings to people who donated to my project to build fishing line recycling pipes.”

Xaviana got plenty of good reviews at EcoFest for the bird guide she had created to go with her presentation; so much good feedback that she and her mom decided to add to the guide and get it published.

“I added more birds, redid the layout and cover, and we self-published the book as a hardcover,” she said. “When the first delivery arrived, it was exciting to see my illustrations and name on a real book!”

Since the EcoFest in June, Leis has sold over 800 copies of her book, which can be purchased at Vintage By the Bay, an antique store in Deale, as well as on Amazon or online at caprichosbooks.com, an independent bookstore in Ocean Pines. It sells there for $23.

“A Marriott hotel bought 100 books to go into their welcome packages,” Dombi-Leis said.

The book has more than 50 different birds native to Maryland and nearby states, complete with facts about the bird such as their diet and wingspan.

“My favorite bird is the eagle,” Xaviana said. “They used to be close to extinction, but thanks to people making efforts to preserve them they are thriving again. I like that about them.”

Along with the books, she also raised money to buy fishing wire disposal containers, plastic piping installed near fishing areas where anglers can recycle their fishing lines. The family still has some containers left for anyone who wants to put one near their local dock or beach, Dombi-Leis said.

Xaviana is dedicated to everything she puts her mind to, she said, including reading, Irish dance, playing soccer and baking with her sisters.

“Our mom told us we had to work if we wanted to get the hedgehog that we wanted as a pet,” Xaviana said. “We used our baking skills to start Little Hedge Bakery and sold baked goods until we got a hedgehog. We did so well, we have a chinchilla now too.”

Xaviana said she wants to be a news reporter, but, she admits, “that changes every week.”