For over a century birders and nature enthusiasts have participated in an annual holiday activity which was started as a fun competition but has now been part of an incredible effort that combines fun and honest-to-goodness bird research.

The bird count offers seasoned and beginning birders to join together for a day to have fun while engaged in citizen science.

The local count, the Wild River Count, will be held on Saturday, Dec. 16.

All counters, this includes serious birders and complete beginners, should gather at the Chisago Lakes Lutheran Church upper parking lot at 7:30 a.m. From there the counting teams, will scatter to their assigned counting areas.

A $5 participant's fee is required from each counter to pay for expenses such as database technology/support.

All bird counts take place in a 15-mile diameter count area (177 square miles) and all counts must take place in a 24-hour count period.

Some determined counters would count from dawn to dark. The local count will culminate in a hearty potluck supper and final tally of the day's counting efforts at the Chisago Lakes Lutheran Church at 5 p.m.

The only requirements are a keen curiosity and willingness to hone your observation skills. Binoculars and a bird field guide are helpful but not absolutely necessary. Traveling primarily by car, dress for frequent stops and hikes. Generally most of the counting is done from inside cars but occasional stops are made to hike into the countryside so dress for the weather. Bring a snack if you like, most groups stop at a local cafÈ for lunch.

The collected data, all volunteer generated, has become a crucial

part of the U.S. government's natural history monitoring database. With the data, good estimates are possible to assess population trends

for several important species of birds.

For more information call Tom Anderson at (651) 462-7353 (evening).

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