December 1st, 2020

Today we announce the launch of the WRDSB’s first annual Winter Bird Count!!!

For details check out the project page.

Our Winter Bird Count is modelled after the Christmas Bird Count, an annual event that has been organized for over 100 years. The Christmas Bird Count runs in late December and early January, sponsored by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Audubon and Birds Canada. For many migratory species that breed in the far north of Canada, this type of count is the only way to track changes in their population.

Anyone can participate, from beginners to experts. You can count for as little as 15 minutes on a single day, or for as long as you like each day of the event. It’s free, fun and easy – and it helps the birds!

Our winter bird event will include a Youtube Live question and answer session with our four environmental education specialists, a citizen science project where we ask students to count birds in their neighbourhood, print/digital resources for in class or at home learning and lesson plans for teachers.  The count will be held December 16-23rd, during which time we need students to help us count the numbers and varieties of birds in our region.  Get your feeders out and stock up on birdseed!

For more details visit our Winter Bird Count landing page and follow us on Twitter @outdoor_ed.