December 16, 2011
Bird lovers across the country are dusting off their observing skills and getting ready for the Annual Christmas Bird Count! Naturalist Larry Clarfeld from the North Branch Nature Center in Montpelier tells us this has been going on for more than 100 years.
"Actually, it goes back to the year 1900 when it was first created, as an effort to census birds during their winter stay."
"It's literally a bird count."
"It is... teams of people spread out over a predetermined area and count every single bird they see. And then all the results are compiled which is a lot of fun, usually done over a pot luck dinner. The results are analyzed to look at changes in bird abundance and distribution over time, and some of the results of this is actually used by the EPA now as one of their 25 leading indicators of climate change.
"Counts are organized by either groups of people or local organizations and the Christmas bird count as a whole are organized by the National Audubon Society.
"Volunteers are always welcome to join bird counts, no experience necessary, and yes, we're happy to have anyone who's even willing to just count the birds at their backyard bird feeder."
If you are interested in joining the Christmas Bird Count this year, click on this link for the North Branch Nature Center where there will be more information about how you can get involved.
