- Trails are open 24/7 at no charge. Enjoy a Winnie-the-Pooh themed TRAIL TALES Storybook Walk.
What’s Happening: Christmas Bird Count
For 126 years, the Christmas Bird Count has taken place, and for 25 of those years, Crossroads at Big Creek has participated in some way. Every year was different: sometimes small groups were out all day; other years, naturalist-led hikes were scheduled throughout the count day. But always—whether the weather was balmy or blizzard—the day has been special: a time to forget the stress, set aside the to-do list, turn off the computer and cell phone, and reconnect with nature.
It is somewhat ironic that at an environmental learning center dedicated to getting people away from their screens and into nature, but we are gradually embracing the technology of eBird and Merlin as part of our citizen science efforts, including the Christmas Bird Count. As one resource notes, “Christmas Bird Count bridges generations: paper checklists meet smartphone apps.”
According to the Christmas Bird Count (CBC) website, “Prior to the turn of the 20th century, hunters engaged in a holiday tradition known as the Christmas ‘Side Hunt.’ They would choose sides and go afield with their guns, whoever brought in the biggest pile of feathered (and furred) quarry won.
“Conservation was in its beginning stages in that era, and many observers and scientists were becoming concerned about declining bird populations. Beginning on Christmas Day 1900, ornithologist Frank M. Chapman, an early officer in the then-nascent Audubon Society, proposed a new holiday tradition—a ‘Christmas Bird Census’ that would count birds during the holidays rather than hunt them.”
What has made the Christmas Bird Count so remarkable as a research tool is that people from across the hemisphere have recorded the birds they saw or heard during the designated ten-day period. As a result, more than a century of data now documents changes in bird populations.
eBird and Merlin are smartphone apps developed by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology to enhance the experience for both beginners and seasoned birders. They enable beginning birders to contribute to global citizen science by providing data that helps researchers track trends in abundance, migration shifts, and range changes with exceptional precision.
For the December 20 Sturgeon Bay Christmas Bird Count, at Crossroads anyone may bird for any length of time—from pre-dawn to post-sunset—within the Big Creek and the Cove Estuary Preserve. If observers record their sightings on eBird, we will be able to collate the information electronically. To participate, please email info@crossroadsatbigcreek.org to receive details.
Because we are convinced that the Merlin Bird Identification app is so valuable—participants in our “Birding with Merlin” classes have called it “life-changing”—we are using our Science Saturday time slot—2:00 pm on December 20 to offer Christmas Count Lite. Participants will be introduced to the program and resources and will receive a beginning-birding tutorial. Please download the Merlin and eBird apps ahead of time. This event is geared toward families and beginning birders.
On Monday, December 22 at 1:30, we present the lecture Native Conifers and the History of Christmas Trees. And on Tuesday, December 23, the Environmental Exploration program, titled “Making a List” and geared to elementary students, we will make a list and check it twice as we will explore which plants and animals are “naughty and nice.”
The Collins Learning Center will be closed on December 24 and 25, but trails will remain open.
– by Coggin Heeringa, Interpretive Naturalist
For more information, please check out our Crossroads calendar or stop by the Collins Learning Center and pick up a printed calendar. Our trails are open all day every day, free of charge, thanks to donors like you!
Crossroads at Big Creek Learning Center and Nature Preserve is located at 2041 Michigan Street, Sturgeon Bay. Crossroads is a 501(c)(3) organization committed to inspiring stewardship of the environment through education, research, and outdoor experiences. We welcome your support.
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