There were still a few spots open Monday for youngsters to be part of the Children’s Christmas Bird Count Jan. 3 at Canatara Park in Sarnia.
There were still a few spots open as of Monday for youngsters to be part of the children’s Christmas bird count Jan. 3 at Canatara Park in Sarnia.
What will be the sixth year for the local bird count by children, supported by Lambton Wildlife Inc. It’s for ages six to 12 and runs from 9:30 a.m. to noon, starting at the parking lot near the children’s animal farm.
The bird count is a free event, but registration is required and information is available by contacting Anne Goulden at a.goulden@lambtonwildlife.com.
About 10 volunteers and 20 or so youngsters will spend time identifying and counting birds in the park as part of a long-running North American bird census.
“They get registered and pick up some binoculars that they can borrow,” said Goulden about the annual Sarnia count for children.
“And then, we divided them up randomly into groups with their parent or guardian, and usually there’s one guide to every two to six kids,” she said. “They go out for an hour . . . and they try to find as many birds as they can.”
It’s a chance for young people to be introduced to birding and the local ecology.
After the count, the groups gather again and report what they found, Goulden said.
Last year’s event recorded 317 birds and 18 different species, she said.
“And then, we send them home with a little grab bag that has a pinecone birdfeeder kit” along with a button featuring a different bird image each year, she said. This year’s button features a blue jay.
There also will be juice and cookies, Goulden said.
Participants are encouraged to dress warmly and no prior birding experience is required.
“I love birds and nature, so I love to share it,” she said. “Everybody who volunteers feels the same way.”
If youngsters can be encouraged to also love nature, “it’s going to help make the future better,” Goulden said.
The annual Christmas bird count is said to be North America’s longest-running citizen science project, beginning in 1900, and people in more than 2,000 locations in the Western Hemisphere now take part.
The count is overseen nationally by Birds Canada and the information collected forms one of the world’s largest sets of wildlife survey data, according to the organization’s website.
The Sarnia children’s count is an event by the Young Nats program of Lambton Wildlife, Goulden said.
Lambton Wildlife Inc. is a volunteer, non-profit organization dedicated to the conservation and preservation of wildlife and habitat in Lambton County.