Community scientists play an integral role in how the Land Trust cares for the lands and waters we protect. Our bird surveyor program has been collecting and sharing data with the Land Trust since 2002. Local volunteers have spent 8,800 hours—and counting!—patiently listening for bird calls, watching for slight movements in bushes, and looking overhead to identify the different bird species at the Land Trust’s Preserves and conserved lands.
Bird surveyors have been active at 11 of the Land Trust’s protected areas over the last two decades, with many of those places providing habitat for more than 100 different kinds of birds. Camp Polk Meadow Preserve takes the crown as our birding hotspot though—186 species of birds have been spotted there!
Observing and tracking our local bird populations is a great activity whether you’re an avid birder or just beginning. Bird surveys are conducted year-round and provide a new way to connect with the lands and waters we love. Surveying also allows us to participate with a global community of scientists and scholars—professional and amateur alike!—in understanding current bird behavior, ranges, and trends that can help us better understand and mitigate the impacts of a changing climate.
Land Trust bird surveyor Susan Zimmerman shared, “I’m a bird surveyor because it’s important to have year-round information on bird presence (or absence). Surveying birds also provides information about breeding birds, seasonal use, and overall populations levels. I jumped right into tracking birds at Paulina Creek Preserve knowing that this could provide information to help the Land Trust compare bird numbers before and after restoration. Aside from this community science aspect, bird surveying at the Preserve gives one a magical intimacy with a relatively small patch of land. It’s awe-inspiring to see all the birds come back to their little niche habitats in spring, and great fun to count them all when they do.”
Protecting these lands is for the birds!—and also pretty great for us. Birding teaches you to slow down, to look and listen in ways that our busy lives often don’t leave time for. We know that just getting outside and into natural spaces can help ease stress and improve overall health. Plus, it’s a pretty great feeling to correctly identify a bird or see a new species you may not have noticed on a brisk jog or hike.
Are you interested in becoming a volunteer bird surveyor for the Land Trust? It’s easy to get started! After watching a short video on your own, join our staff for a bird survey orientation at a Land Trust Preserve, then you’re ready to begin birding on our behalf! Heed the call (pun intended) and become a bird surveyor today!
Learn more: