(This is not a sighting report, but since it has much to do with birding with BSC, I'm hoping you will post it. Thanks.)
Hello fellow birders and nature watchers: Please pass this on to fellow birders, club members, co-workers and friends who may be interested in attending. In celebration of International Biodiversity Day, May 22nd, 2010, Kawartha Field Naturalists has partnered with Bird Studies Canada, Toward Balance Support Network and Fleming College Frost Campus in Lindsay to host a FREE, 1 day training workshop and tour of downtown Lindsay roost and nest sites, for volunteers interested in joining OntarioSwiftWatch. This volunteer-based monitoring program-currently gearing up for its second full season - is designed to gather information on Chimney Swift Abundance, distribution, behavior and habitats across the province. The results will help scientists determine how and where to focus conservation efforts on this Threatened Species. This is an opportunity for you to learn about the importance of preserving a Species at Risk and how you can help, through the monitoring and reporting of nesting and roosting activity in your chimney and/or your community. Led by Elizabeth vanStamm,BSC's Ontario Project Biologist, the workshop will begin at 10 AM, for approximately 3 hours of classroom presentations and instruction, followed in the afternoon by 3 hours of field study, surveying the city for potential nest and roost chimneys. During this event you will learn:- The symbiotic relationships between birds, insects and humans. How preservation of this species can help reduce the threat of West Nile Virus in Urban Communities. How to recognize, evaluate and determine the size of suitable Chimney Swift Habitats. How to create survey routes. How to use the SwiftWatch monitoring protocol. How to submit data using the NatureCounts website Attendance is limited to 40 participants, so reserve your space today. For those who plan to attend and stay for the rest of the holiday weekend, there are several motels within close proximity, as well as College Residence accommodation at a very reasonable rate, if you are single and don't want to share. Please contact Judy Kennedy, Species at Risk Project Co-ordinator, Kawartha Field Naturalists for more info email: [email protected] phone: 705-878-8575 _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to ONTBIRDS mailing list [email protected] For information about ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/
