Christmas Bird Count
Starts today, Dec. 14, and goes until Jan. 5, 2024
If you want to try some old-time community science, considering joining the 2023-24 Christmas Bird Count (CBC).
The count is more than a century old, starting in 1900 when a group of conservationists sparked a bright idea: why not, instead of hunting birds, let’s just count them and keep a record? The first count was on a Christmas Day, and it set the stage for this meaningful and long-lasting conservation movement. Some counts have continued every year since that inaugural event, extending the CBC's reach to more than 20 countries across the Western Hemisphere. You can explore the captivating history behind this initiative here.
Today, the CBC is an established program under the stewardship of the National Audubon Society. This early-winter bird census, which relies of thousands of volunteers, has maps and more details for participants at the National Audubon website. An important thing to know is that most volunteers join CBC circles to go out as a group to conduct the count at a particular site. This is to ensure accuracy, and it helps beginners have a way to work with seasoned birders.
There are, however, provisions for counting individually at home if you cannot join a circle. You can learn more by visiting the information pages. Also you can learn from my experience last January when I went on my first count which I liked, but then again, I didn’t. See Pretty Bird Words.
“Hope is a verb with its sleeves rolled up.” —Environmentalist David Orr
I heard this quote spoken in a podcast the other day, and it resonated because I always feel better when doing. 1 If that doing is something worthwhile to myself and others, well that’s the big goal.
I began The Everyday Scientist about this time last year as a personal challenge to write and publish a newsletter about community science all year long. So I’m now enjoying that good feeling of making it to the finish line and getting a chance to say a BIG THANK YOU for being a reader.
Really.
Thanks a whole whole lot.
You deserve another winter bird—a puffed-out percher—for being a reader.
Journey in Place
My writing here continues next year when I’ll refine my community science work by blending my reporting with essays focused on writing about place. Do you know Janisse Ray, the famous Georgia-based author who often talks about re-wilding our stories? Ray is launching an online class called “Journey in Place: A Year-Long Course in Place-Making.”
I’ve signed up.
You can too, if you are interested. I’d love to publish some of your writing (or an audio story) here. We can work through the year of story prompts and mini essays together. The course costs $100 for the year, and from what I know about Ray as a writing professional, I trust it will be well worth it.
Quote is from the On Being podcast. Christiana Figueres—Ecological Hope and Spiritual Evolution.
We have a Christmas bird count here in Oriental, NC. Our neighbor, Liz Lathrop, is the birding queen here in this county. When we moved to eastern NC we discovered her passion almost serendipidly. The day we found our property she was leading a birding group to see the winter fowl here in eastern NC. So, we missed meeting her that day. But I met her husband, a boat builder and woodworker, who mentored me to to obtain the limited skill level I obtained as a furniture builder and boat builder. Mary Ann met Liz a few days later. I can't hear most birds now due to hearing loss, but Mary Ann hears them and wonders at the loss from which I am suffering. The Christmas bird count is a huge event in our neighborhood as Liz, now in her late 80s, still hosts the local event. She makes a huge pot of chili and a crowd of avid birders show up to report their sightings and enjoy the good food.
I checked out Janessa Rays website. I LOVE this! Thank you so much for sharing. I am tempted to sign up and i am mot even a writer.