Christmas Bird Count (CBC) for Kids!
The First Annual Sacramento Area Kids’
Christmas Bird Count was a smashing success! Attended by 22 children and youth,
their associated parents and grandparents plus 10 leaders and 11 other
volunteers, mostly from Sacramento Audubon, everyone had a great
time.
In spite of gale force winds at the
Cosumnes River Preserve, the kids and adults exhibited enormous enthusiasm for
what they were doing. They all delighted in the many beautiful birds seen on the
Preserve which totaled 50 species and nearly 6,300 individual
birds.
The kids formed 5 teams before setting off.
When the teams returned to the Visitor's Center the Official Compilation began
with results projected on the big screen by team, species and numbers of birds.
This gave everyone the chance to see what all the teams had observed. During
this compilation, children came forward to collect a prize with each child given
the opportunity to choose what she or he most wanted. Some of the prizes were
new National Geographic Field Guides to Birds, several Audubon Pocket Bird
Guides, bird feeders and bird seed (donated by Wild Birds Unlimited), and more.
Refreshments were served and lunches eaten
and lots of great bird talk.
Two able photographers memorialized the
entire count with photos of everyone in action from pre-registration chaos to
tired but satisfied departures. The images are pure magic, some of which can be seen here.
This was definitely a winner and only the
first of many such counts.
Effie Yeaw Nature Center
The Effie Yeaw Nature Center is an award winning environmental education center located within the American River Parkway in Carmichael, CA. Visit www.sacnaturecenter.net/ for details
Flying WILD
Although primarily for teachers, the Flying WILD website is “designed to inspire young people to discover more about conservation and the natural world” and has lots of information on many bird- and nature-related resources. Visit: http://www.flyingwild.org/aboutus.htm
Project Wild and Growing up Wild
These websites also provide ideas and information primarily for educators, but they also have sections that would appeal to parents as well. Visit: Projectwild.org .
Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology
Cornell’s Ornithology Lab is THE place to go for a myriad of bird-related information. The Young Birder Event for 2010 was a well-attended, two-day event for teenagers held in Ithaca, New York. Its purpose was to bring together teens with a passion for birding and to assist them with identification, citizen science, education and various other supports. To see what will be offered in 2011, click here.
Project FeederWatch
Families might want to participate in PFW, conducted by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Bird Studies Canada. Families can count different birds that visit their backyard bird feeders from November until early April, then send the count results to Cornell.
In addition to helping scientists track what is going on with birds during the winter, the data are part of a useful citizen science project to help identify long-term trends in native and non-native bird distribution. The cost is $15. Cornell’s web site also has many wonderful educational materials about birds for parents and their children at Feederwatch.org
Camps for Young Birders
This past year, the American Birding Association announced five Young Birder Camps to assist kids toward excelling in the fields of natural history, ecology and ornithology. The camps were in diverse locations such as Maine, Colorado, Arizona and Washington. The ABA offered $5,000 in scholarships to help individuals attend these camps. It is likely there will be similar camping opportunities in 2011. For more information, visit: Aba.org/yb/camps
Nature Rocks!
The Nature Rocks website is "your family fun nature planner. This site will help you find all sorts of nature activities, plus tools to help guide and plan your adventures. You’ll also find useful tips and information to help you get into nature without getting over your head. It's fast and easy so you can shut your computer down quickly, open up that door and be on your way in as little as 5 minutes. Nature is closer than you think! Visit naturerocks.org .
The Children & Nature Network
This Network (C&NN) “…was created to encourage and support the people and organizations working nationally and internationally to reconnect children with nature. The network provides a critical link between researchers and individuals, educators and organizations dedicated to children's health and well-being.”
Full of information on a variety of topics and ideas on how to connect children with nature, for more information, visit: childrenandnature.org
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