“Participants can expect to develop birding skills, learn how to help birds, and reap the benefits of birding which include improved mental and physical health,” said Elizabeth Wetterstroem, Five Rivers MetroParks interpretation coordinator. “Challenge tasks have been designed with everyone in mind, so both new and existing birders are encouraged to participate.”
The Birding Challenge – which gets underway on March 1 – has six categories with 30 total tasks and people will need to complete at least one task in each category. Participants who complete the challenge will receive a Birding Challenge sticker and entry into a raffle for prizes that include binoculars, a bird feeder and seed, and a bird-themed basket with shade-grown coffee.
New to birding? Not a problem.
“Birdwatching is an activity open to everyone, so we’ve designed the Birding Challenge for people of all ages and with all levels of birding experience,” Wetterstroem said. “Several tasks are perfect for beginning birders.”
There is a digital Birding Challenge Guide that includes everything birders need to get started. The guide covers such topics as the basics of bird identification, tools and apps, resources and activities that celebrate birds.
“We have also identified 12 best birding areas within the MetroParks that are especially suitable for birding, and several of the locations are accessible as well, encouraging everyone to get out and bird,” Wetterstroem said. “There is even a classroom version of the Birding Challenge, so teachers can use it to support their curriculum and potentially win prizes for their class.”
The challenge can benefit the birders and bird population alike.
Good for the birders
“While birding can be something you can do alone, it is much more fun with family and friends – together, you have more eyes looking out for birds, so you see more,” said Joshua York, MetroParks naturalist. “Plus, getting out exploring is a bonding experience and a great way to connect with nature.
Credit: Jessica Hansbauer
Credit: Jessica Hansbauer
“With so much happening in the world, it’s good for our mental health to think and act locally. The Birding Challenge offers a welcome distraction, with the opportunity to take constructive actions that improve our local nature.”
Families will enjoy activities like build-a-nest and fabulous feathers, while spending time together and possibly picking up a new hobby. More advanced birders will also be challenged as will students whose teachers integrate the program into their curriculum.
“There are so many benefits to birding and participating in challenges like this,” Wetterstroem said. “One’s physical health can be improved by being outside, experiencing fresh air or exercise and birding provides several mental and cognitive health benefits including reducing effects of stress, anxiety and depression, and enhancing focus and memory.”
Good for the birds
“As a naturalist, I am excited for the bird data we can get from the challenge,” York said. “We use eBird regularly to check on bird populations, even when deciding when and where to lead bird walks. The birding community is strong in Dayton, and it’s about to get stronger.”
A category of the challenge is dedicated to ways people can help birds including updating habitat in their backyards, picking up trash in ponds and lakes or taking part in conservation initiatives like Ohio Lights Out.
“As a conservation agency, we want the Birding Challenge to support birds as well,” Wetterstroem said. “Participants may even contribute to citizen science.”
Many birders will track their birding checklists via a site called e-Bird. Powered by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, this site collects data that scientists use to make real-time decisions about how to protect birds.
“It’s a win-win for everyone involved, including our feathered friends,” Wetterstroem said.
MORE DETAILS
For more information, visit metroparks.org/birdingchallenge.
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