Spring has arrived, and bringing with it the wonderful return of our migrant birds. The annual Baillie Birdathon is your chance to have fun birding and enjoy some time outside, while helping Canada\'s wild birds. It is also your opportunity to raise funds for your chosen Naturalist Club. Birdathon is an important fundraiser for Bird Studies Canada (BSC), and participants can designate the conservation organization of their choice to receive a portion of the money they raise (from 25-50%, depending on the total amount raised for the club). BSC is Canada\'s only national charitable organization dedicated to advancing the understanding, appreciation, and conservation of wild birds and their habitats. BSC coordinates the event and handles the administration, including issuing income tax receipts to all sponsors. You don\'t need to be an expert birder to get involved in the Birdathon. Participants simply collect sponsor pledges, and then spend up to 24 hours in May searching for as many species of birds as possible. You can bird for just a few hours on your own from your backyard, or challenge other club members to a friendly competition. Upon registration, all participants are provided with their own personal fundraising webpage to help make fundraising both fun and easy. Some fantastic prizes are also available to be won by participants, including an all-inclusive trip through Eagle-Eye Tours, or a pair of binoculars or spotting scope from Eagle Optics.ca. Participants also receive an official Baillie Birdathon t-shirt free just for registering! Many great things have been accomplished for birds through funds raised by the Baillie Birdathon. This national fundraiser has provided important finances to local clubs for everything from land purchases and habitat work to bird feeding trails and youth nature camps. Funds received by Bird Studies Canada are used to support Canada-wide volunteer surveys that track bird population changes over time, such as Project FeederWatch and the Christmas Bird Counts, as well as owl surveys, beached bird surveys, Species at Risk projects, and much more. BSC scientists use this information to draw attention to serious declines and assist with conservation planning. The James L. Baillie Memorial Fund also receives a portion of revenues for its granting program to support special research projects across the country. For more information and to register, visit Bird Studies Canada\'s web page at: www.birdscanada.org/support/birdathon or contact Kristine Dobney at 1-888-448-2473, or email birdathon@birdscanada.org. Baillie Birdathon registration forms, kits, and brochures are available upon request.
March Nature PEI Meeting, with Daphne Davey on “Hoofing It in the Highlands” on a Trip to Cape Breton
Nature PEI March Meeting On Tuesday, March 4th, Nature PEI will hold its regular month meeting, 7:30PM, Beaconsfield Carriage House,