Check out Thorn Creek’s Great Backyard Bird Count open house on Saturday, Feb. 13, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., for help with all things birds! For basic bird identifications – and tricky ones, too - , choosing binoculars, bird feeding and feeder tips, local bird checklists and more. Birders of all levels are welcome. Information, crafts, hand-outs, and activities for beginners and children, too. You can make pine cone feeders to take home. Join our naturalists for birding hikes at 9 a.m. and at noon.
The GBBC is an annual count hosted by Audubon and Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Across America and Canada people watch and count birds with the results providing a snapshot of the whereabouts of more than 600 bird species. “When thousands of people all tell us what they’re seeing, we can detect patterns in how birds are faring from year to year,” said Janis Dickinson, director of Citizen Science at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
Anyone can be part of the GBB Count! It's easy. Just watch and count birds in your backyard or on trail for at least 15 minutes, then report what you saw at www.birdcount.org for the GBBC days Feb. 13 through 16.
This is a Partnership for Programming event sponsored by the Thorn Creek Audubon Society. The TCAS mission is to promote the enjoyment and appreciation of birds, to educate adults and children concerning our natural environment, to preserve, protect and restore wildlife habitat, and create awareness of local conservation issues. Find information on TCAS meetings, field trips and membership at thorncreekaudubonsociety.org.
Thorn Creek Nature Woods Nature Preserve is located at 247 Monee Road, Park Forest. For more information or to register for programs, please call 708-747-6320 or email thorn_creek@att.net. Visit our new website at www.tcwoods.org.