LEARN ABOUT CREATURES
(IN OUR OWN NEIGHBORHOODS)
this project is called LOCAL BIOLOGY (until we think of something better)
From their website (check their website -- there's lots and lots more information on it)
"Since the Christmas Bird Count began over a century ago, it has relied on the dedication and commitment of volunteer citizen scientists. In other words, it all starts with you!
The Christmas Bird Count season is December 14 through January 5 each year. Your local count will occur on one day between those inclusive dates. If you have more than one local count, they will probably be conducted on different dates within the CBC season. You can pick the most convenient date, or participate in more than one count. In November of 2008 you will be able to search on upcoming count dates
There is a specific methodology to the CBC, but everyone can participate. The count takes place within "Count Circles," which focus on specific geographical areas. Each circle is led by a Count Compiler. Therefore, if you are a beginning birder, you will be able to join a group that includes at least one experienced birdwatcher. In addition, if your home is within the boundaries of a Count Circle, then you can stay home and report the birds that visit your feeder or join a group of birdwatchers in the field. In either case, if you have never been on a CBC before your first step is to locate and contact your local Count Compiler to find out how you can volunteer."
Whole United States, find one of many groups in your state on the Christmas Bird Count website
Minneapolis busts it out in the summertime!
This city is full of vast residential neighborhoods, lots of home gardens. The Mississippi River winds all around the Twin Cities. It is mostly a channel cut into the earth - steep bluffs surround the river.
Eagles fly along the Mississippi.
There are bazillions of parks, and even more bike trails along greenways. I have not yet investigated this aspect of the city, but it is most certainly home to a variety of wildlife and plants.
The area experiences really drastic temperature changes. Other places in Minnesota are way colder, but in my experience, the winter was plenty cold and full of wonderful beauty.
Birding in spring was really cool - you could really see the birds through the branches. As a newcomer to Minneapolis, with all the leaves filled in as they are this summer, the birds are practically invisible and I will need to try very hard to learn the birds by sound.
Summer is so incredibly green and everything grows so fast and blooms like crazy.
I will be posting some of my adventures in wildlife monitoring. So far I have tried monarch butterfly, frog and owl monitoring.
This is my journal...more on the way.
© 2009 Local Biology, a social business
A social business is owned by the people who directly benefit, and need its existence. We all benefit from the earth, and knowing about the earth, therefore, the earth owns Local Biology and we are simply noticing her, and how she created us.
It is by being a social business today that we can reach out to all people who want to understand the world they live in - the science, the spirit, the changing planet. We can reach around walls built by schools and other educational institutions, television, media, science, religion, language and country.
We know that we love and care about our Earth and in this we unite as this 'social business,' the business being that we are all working together to bring this knowledge together on this website and to other real projects in our towns — working with our own communities and, especially, friends.
Local Biology by Local Biology is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.
Based on a work at www.localbiology.org.
More about Local Biology attribution