By Sara Thompson
Don Green of the Channel City Camera Club, obtained from Wikimedia Commons
Special to the Enterprise
Do you have a bird feeder or bird bath in your yard? Do you enjoy taking nature walks on weekends? Do you enjoy looking for and finding our local feathered friends? If the answer is yes to any of these, consider participating in the Great Backyard Bird Count happening February 16-19, 2024.
Started in 1998 by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Autobahn Society, these two groups created one of the first community science projects done online. Community members counted the number of birds viewed in their yards throughout the day and reported them online, showing the national bird counts in real time.
What began as a small, national project to count neighborhood birds prior to spring migrations, has become an international effort to track bird populations worldwide. The tracking software has become app based and continues to track in real time. Participation is free but does require an account on whichever participating online resource you are using.
To participate, register for a counting app, such as Merlin Bird ID or eBird, double check which ones are official recording participants. Next, choose the place you would like to count birds, you should use the same place each day for consistency. Each day, spend at least fifteen minutes, but longer is better at counting. During your counting time, observe, listen, and count how many birds you can find during your counting time and record your findings on the app of your choice.
More information can be found at birdcount.org, but if you enjoy being in nature and looking for our fine, feathered friends, get out there and get counting!
Explorit's coming events:
• Explorit is open Fridays from 1-4pm and Saturday and Sundays from 10am-2pm. The current exhibit is “Our WILD World”. Admission is $5 per person, free for Explorit Members and those aged 2 and under.
• Open Monday, Feb. 19, 10am-2pm. Admission is $5 per person, free for Explorit Members and those aged 2 and under.
• Now is a great time to donate and help Explorit continue to educate and inspire the scientists of tomorrow: https://www.explorit.org/donate
• A Membership to Explorit grants the recipient free visits to Explorit’s regular public hours, discounts on events, summer camps and workshops, and gives you ASTC benefits to visit other museums throughout the world. To purchase or for more information visit https://www.explorit.org/membership or call Explorit at 530-756-0191.
• Spring school programming book up fast so call now. For more information, please visit https://www.explorit.org/programs. To reserve call (530) 756-0191.
Comments