Mountain Birdwatch Training

Mountain Birdwatch Training

Saturday, May 12, 2012 10:00am - 1:00pm

Learn how to volunteer in an international conservation effort to monitor high-elevation breeding birds in the White and Green Mountains with the Vermont Center for Ecostudies.

Love birding?  Love hiking the mountains of the Northeast?  Join Mountain Birdwatch, an international conservation effort to monitor high-elevation breeding birds in New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, and eastern Canada!  Mountain Birdwatch seeks enthusiastic hikers and birders to adopt a mountain route and monitor breeding songbirds. For 2012, we are particularly looking for volunteers to cover routes in the central and northern White Mountains of New Hampshire, along with routes in northwestern Maine. This workshop, led by Mountain Birdwatch Project Director Dr. Judith Scari, will provide you with the knowledge needed play an active role as a citizen scientist in this important conservation biology effort.

Volunteers survey eleven high-elevation species, including the rare and vulnerable Bicknell’s Thrush. Each volunteer adopts one route to survey; surveys can be conducted on any morning in June, but monitors should be flexible enough to schedule around bad weather.  Surveys begin 45 minutes before sunrise and last 2–4.5 hours, depending on the length of the route.  Overnight camping is required for most routes; some routes require a 4WD vehicle for road access.  The goal of Mountain Birdwatch is to monitor the status, distribution, and habitat requirements of high-elevation songbirds.  Results are used to identify habitat conservation priorities and assess impacts of proposed development and climate change.

Does this sound like a good fit for you?  Learn more about Mountain Birdwatch.   See what routes are available in your region.

To register for this training workshop: contact Mountain Birdwatch director Judith Scarl at jscarl@vtecostudies.org or 802-649-1431 x7 for more information about this exciting program!

The training is free of charge.

Pre-Registration Required