(Feb. 2, 2017) The Lower Shore Land Trust is resurrecting an older, but popular event this Saturday at 10 a.m., the Winter Bird Identification and Backyard Birding Program, at its headquarters in Snow Hill in preparation for the national Great Backyard Bird Count, later in the month.
“It’s a really neat example of citizen science [that] families can do over a winter weekend from their own homes,” Kate Patton, executive director of the trust, said. “We can help families track the birds they’re seeing everyday, but can also participate in a big project with Audubon.”
The four-day event scheduled for Feb. 17-20 invites participants to spend as little as 15 minutes cataloguing the birds they see and uploading the data to www.birdcount.org.
To do so, however, the participants need to know what it is they’re looking at, and this is where the Lower Shore Land Trust comes in.
“Our objective is to invite people to learn what they might expect to see, how to identify the birds, how the count works and how you can participate,” Patton said. “By making our event accessible to all ages, people can really get what they want out of it.”
For those interested in the scientific aspects of the program, Barbara Dolan, an experienced birder and member of the Tri-County Bird Club, will be on hand this Saturday to discuss bird identification techniques, the ecological significance and the importance of habitat preservation.
For the younger ones, the trust is offering a “make and take” birdhouse project.
“It’s all with the goal of bringing birds to your house,” Patton said. “The key is to engage families and individuals and give them a reason to protect the lands and preserve habitat.”
Registration for Saturday’s event is required and a $5 donation to the Lower Shore Land Trust is requested.
Reservations can be made by calling 443-234-5587 or email at keverson@lowershorelandtrust.org.
“It’s a really neat example of citizen science [that] families can do over a winter weekend from their own homes,” Kate Patton, executive director of the trust, said. “We can help families track the birds they’re seeing everyday, but can also participate in a big project with Audubon.”
The four-day event scheduled for Feb. 17-20 invites participants to spend as little as 15 minutes cataloguing the birds they see and uploading the data to www.birdcount.org.
To do so, however, the participants need to know what it is they’re looking at, and this is where the Lower Shore Land Trust comes in.
“Our objective is to invite people to learn what they might expect to see, how to identify the birds, how the count works and how you can participate,” Patton said. “By making our event accessible to all ages, people can really get what they want out of it.”
For those interested in the scientific aspects of the program, Barbara Dolan, an experienced birder and member of the Tri-County Bird Club, will be on hand this Saturday to discuss bird identification techniques, the ecological significance and the importance of habitat preservation.
For the younger ones, the trust is offering a “make and take” birdhouse project.
“It’s all with the goal of bringing birds to your house,” Patton said. “The key is to engage families and individuals and give them a reason to protect the lands and preserve habitat.”
Registration for Saturday’s event is required and a $5 donation to the Lower Shore Land Trust is requested.
Reservations can be made by calling 443-234-5587 or email at keverson@lowershorelandtrust.org.