Looking for a way to encourage the young birders in your life to get outside and observe birds? Sacramento Audubon Society is partnering with State Parks and Effie Yeaw to host a Great Backyard Bird Count for Kids on February 17th and 18th. The Great Backyard Bird Count is an opportunity for people all over the world to contribute to our scientific understanding of bird populations by recording the birds found in their neighborhood. On Saturday, February 17th, we will contribute to the Great Backyard Bird Count at the Folsom Powerhouse State Historic Park, located on the shores of Lake Natoma in historic Folsom. On Sunday, February 18th, our count will move to Effie Yeaw Nature Center, farther downstream along the American River.
Dates and locations:
February 17th at Folsom Powerhouse SHP (9980 Greenback Ln, Folsom, CA)
February 18th at Effie Yeaw Nature Center (2850 San Lorenzo Way, Carmichael, CA)
Time: 9am - 1pm (volunteers are asked to arrive at 8:30)
Ages: 7+ (children must be accompanied by an adult the whole count)
Please bring: Your kids or borrow someone else's, warm layers in case of chilly weather or rain, sturdy shoes, binoculars if you have them (or borrow some from us), a bagged lunch, and your observational skills for spotting birds!
What to Expect: Start the count day by borrowing a pair of binoculars and learning how to use them during a binocular boot camp. We will then have a quick chat about why it's important to count birds, before splitting into small groups and exploring along the trail. Adults are expected to bird alongside their kids and each group will have an experienced bird leader to help identify what we find. After counting, we will gather back together for lunch and short presentations from each group to share their findings.
Young birders over the age of 7 and their beginner or experienced level adults are all welcome to join. Parking at the Folsom Powerhouse SHP is $10 for the day or covered with an annual State Parks pass. Parking at Effie Yeaw is $7 per car, payable at the entrance. Both locations have easily accessible options for flat, paved trails, as well as ADA parking. Please let us know of any accessibility requirements when you register.
Registration: Registration is required. Please complete a separate registration for each child that wishes to attend. Registration is limited to the first 20 children registered for each location. If your child is one of the first 20 registered you will receive a confirmation email from folsomlake@ports-ca.us. All others will receive an email informing them they have been added to the waitlist. Click the button below to register.
Registration for this event is now closed.
Interested in volunteering? Email Nicole.
For more information about the GBBC and other ways to participate, visit birdcount.org.
A Northern Flicker is one of the birds we hope to see and add to our counts. Image by Craig Swolgaard.