Event

Christmas Bird Count4Kids

Children 8-16 are invited to bring a parent and participate in our first ever Christmas Bird Count4Kids, here in the Botanical Garden. On Saturday, January 12, from 8:30-12:30 six teams of junior birders will gather to count the more than 44 birds commonly found in the garden.

It's a great way to explore nature with your child. First there will be a binocular boot camp to train the kids on how to observe the birds. Then, we'll split up into teams of six kids, each accompanied by one parent. The kids are the birders, and the parents are there to assist and act as the recorders. Each team will be led by a pair of experienced birders.

After the 90-minute observation walk, the teams will return to the County Fair Building for a brown bag lunch and to tabulate their results. The kids will do the presenting and a live count will be done, with parents and other family members present.

The Christmas Bird Count4Kids is co-sponsored by Sonoma Birding whose founders Tom Rusert and Darren Peterie who came up wit the concept.

"Every year for over a century, Christmas Bird counts have been organized across America through Audubon, mainly for adults, during mid-December and early January said Rusert. "Young kids with their families are often not included in this important 24-hour, rigorous "citizen science" effort so we created the CBD 4 Kids and their families. This is a stand-alone, half day event instilling some fo the improant basic ingredients in the grand old Audubon tradition. The objective is to have fun, and potentially create a hometown team of birders and conservationists for the future while encouraging families to enjoy and respect nature together."