The Learning Loop - Trailmix Style...

Lifelong learning is the voluntary and continuous pursuit of knowledge that occurs over a lifetime.  We believe that parents can teach their children to become lifelong learners at a very young age using a model that we like to call the “learning loop”.

What is the Learning Loop, How does it Apply to Kids?

The term “learning loop” is used frequently in business and management to describe a model of adult organizational learning.  If you are familiar with the single and double loop organizational learning model…. well…. set it aside for just a moment.

Like many of the things we do at Trailmix, we have stolen customized this term and adapted it to mean something entirely different (and much more useful) for parents.

For our purposes, the “learning loop” describes a circular process that parents can use to leverage adventure and curiosity to develop lifelong learners.

The model is simple, here is how it works:

Step number 1:  Create an Outdoor Adventure

The first step in the learning loop lies with the parent.  Your job is to set the stage by creating an opportunity for adventure.  We like to use nature and outdoor recreation as a backdrop for our adventures because of the endless opportunities that hiking, bug catching, bird watching, and geocaching can offer a family that likes a good tromp in the woods.

Step number 2:  Guide the Adventure into Curiosity

The next step involves giving your adventure a purpose.  Your job here is to guide the adventure into a topic that will fuel your child’s natural curiosity.  The easiest way to do this is to use the adventure to create a question or set a goal.  Any State and National Park interpretive display (or even a website before the adventure starts) can help you create the question or goal.

Here are a couple of examples: 

• Create an educational scavenger hunt
• Set a Goal
• Find a local list of birds
• Plant a Garden

Step number 3:  Convert the Adventure and Curiosity into Learning

The third step in the process is to guide the combined adventure and curiosity into a moment of learning.  If you posed a question in step 2, than this step would be where you discover the answer, achieve the goal, etc.  For best results,  guide your child into discovering something new:  a concept, life lesson, or other knowledge.

Step number 4:  Tie it all Together, Repeat

The fourth and final step is the most important:  here you set the stage for the next adventure.  The first time we used this process, we went sequoia hunting in Yosemite National Park.  Since then we have hunted these big trees as far north as Placer County and several other points in between.   The trick is to use the momentum of adventure, curiosity, and learning to repeat the cycle as often as possible.  When you use a learning adventure as a stage to another more challenging learning adventure, you have completed the loop.

As long as you keep it fun, you are on track and the results are guaranteed  = )

Friday morning, I spotted this Red Tailed Hawk sitting on our fence. I didn’t want to startle him, so I thought.. hmmm.. how do I get a picture of this cool bird when my good camera with great zoom isn’t nearby? I decided to try and use the binoculars with  my iPhone camera. It took a little balancing and a moment to find the view.  Here’s how it turned out..

Here is another shot of him without using the binoculars..

He was kind enough to hang out in our yard most of the morning. Here are few more pictures from his visit.

While I was having fun with the phone and binoculars, all 3 of our kids were glued like stickers to our door, quietly watching as he swooped from our yard to the neighbors and out in the field searching for some breakfast in between rests on the fence. This was a great way to spend some time together on a cloudy morning learning about a local bird. You can find out more information about the Red-tailed Hawk from our friends over at Sacramento Splash.  

 Happy Bird Watching!

At Trailmix we use projects, activities, and outdoor adventures as a vehicle to build self esteem, learn about science, cultivate creativity, and develop lifelong learners.  It’s an easy thing to do once you learn how and the value and return on investment of your time is incalculable.

Using Activities, Projects, and Adventure to Make Learning Fun

When you create an educational expedition or use a project, activity, or adventure to make learning fun you are usually presented with three big educational “avenues of approach”.  There are probably more, but the ones that we see and use all of the time are the scientific approach, the  artistic approach, and the life lessons approach.

Each approach represents an “angle” that a parent or educator can use to create a learning opportunity.  For instance….

• The scientific avenue involves teaching a fundamental physical truth or observation that can be repeated over and over and is usually a foundation to larger physical concepts.
• The artistic avenue involves learning how to unlock creativity, innovation, or to see or express ideas in new and different ways.
• The Life Lessons avenue involves using a project as a metaphor to teach a life lesson, spiritual truth, or moral that applies to behavior or living.

Spotting the avenues of approach takes a little practice and can sometimes remind me of searching for treasure.  Some avenues are better than others and there are really an infinite number of possibilities.

Here are a couple of examples of things that we do in our Old Sacramento Activity Center every day that you can use to get the same result at home.

Learning Opportunities with Color Mixing

Color mixing is the process of mixing new colors out of primary colors.  You can spend a lot of time studying color theory in the arts, or you can just do what we do most of the time…. mix a few colors together and see what happens.  You’ll make a mess but your kids will love it.

Scientific Avenue: Use colors to conduct an experiment on light and the color spectrum.
Artistic: Work with your child to create a color that they have never seen before.  Even better, work with your child to create a recipe to mix a new color so that the can do it again.
Life Lesson: Overcome obstacles and adversity by mixing colors to satisfy a project requirement in which one of the colors is omitted.

Birdfeeder Building Learning Opportunities

You can order a birdfeeder building kit or simply use a pinecone, a little peanut butter, and some birdseed  to get started.

Scientific: What species live in our neighborhood and what do they eat?
Artistic: How can I assemble a feeder and foods that my favorite birds will find irresistible?
Life Lesson: Some birds find the seeds fast.  Some don’t.  How are the birds that are successful using their size, curiosity, and other attributes to find the seeds?

Learning Opportunities with Gardening

Weather you are planting a garden, planting a strawberry, or viewing root systems, gardening is an activity rich with learning opportunities.  Examples of the three avenues are below, but if you are interested in learning gardens you should jump over to read this post on the benefits of building a learning garden.

Scientific: Where is the best place to build a garden.  Why?
Artistic: Plant a pizza garden – cook a pizza.
Life Lesson: The law of reaping and sowing.

So there you have it:  the three big avenues of approach to blending learning with any project, activity or adventure.  If you have an idea for an activity or project that really leverages this idea please consider leaving a comment to share with others!

Related articles

• Pinecone Birdfeeders (davislifemagazine.com)
• 9 Tips for Bird Watching With Kids (goexplorenature.blogspot.com)
• Fun Friday: Rain Art (goexplorenature.blogspot.com)

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In some ways, shopping for binoculars can be like shopping for electronics.  Unless you are an optical engineer, reading the outside of the box can get confusing fast.

Selecting the right pair of binoculars can get even more confusing when you are shopping for kids.  Obviously, not all of the specifications are going to matter, but knowing which ones are important for a child can save you some money.

We have done a fair amount of binocular testing with kids in our store (Trailmix in Old Sacramento).  When we first opened, we ordered a whole series of binoculars and set out to find the ideal match for kids.  After extensive testing and talking to countless parents we have come to the conclusion that for children under 8 years old there are only four variables that really matter: magnification, weight, ease of focus, and price.

Binocular Magnification:  Go With the 8X Rather than the 10X

When selecting a binocular for young children (kids under eight) more magnification isn’t always better. There is an inverse relationship between magnification and field of view (the visible area that you see when you look through the binocular). More magnification means less field of view.

Young children, especially those that are still developing hand-to-eye coordination, appreciate a larger field of view because they have more points of reference when searching for their target.  Another way to say this is that younger children are going to have have a hard time finding and following a moving bird with a high magnification binocular.

Because of this, we recommend going with an 8x binocular rather than a 10x binocular.

Go Light:  Lightweight Means Less Shaky

Binocular weight is an important factor with young children.  You want to find a pair of binoculars that your child can hold steady.  Shaky hands are going to shake the field of view and make finding and following that bird or object of interest difficult.  As an additional bonus, kids will carry lightweight binoculars in their backpack (rather than yours).

Easy Focus:  Practice in the Store

The process of bringing a binocular into focus takes a little practice for all kids.  We recommend that parents do it first and then, knowing the capabilities of their child, evaluate how challenging learning to focus will be.  Some kids get it quickly, others need to practice.  The key thing is to make sure that you can do it so that you can teach your child.

Cost:  You Can Get a Great Kids Binocular at A Reasonable Price

You can save yourself some disappointment later if you assume at the moment of purchase that it is only a matter of time until your brand new kids binoculars are lost or destroyed in the field.  Once you come to accept that notion, look at the price and make sure that the binocular that you are buying is appropriate.  There is a big difference between dropping a $250 pair of binoculars in a lake vs. a $20 – $30 pair.  There are plenty of binoculars in the lower price range that meet the simple requirements listed above.

Lucky Bums Kids Binocular

The Lucky Bums Kids Binocular:  Our Pick for Kids Under Eight Years Old

Lucky Bums makes a Kids Binocular that meets each of the requirements above.  It has 8X magnification, is compact and lightweight making it easy to hold and pack, kids can learn to focus the binoculars quickly, and retails for under twenty dollars.

Everything a junior bird watcher needs….

Related articles

• The 2010 Holiday Gift Guide for Nature Explorers (goexplorenature.blogspot.com)
• Birdwatching With Kids at Malibu Lagoon State Beach (goexplorenature.blogspot.com)

The Trailmix.Net Great Gear Giveaway is a program where you can win cool kids outdoor gear and educational toys for free each month.  Anyone can participate, no purchase is necessary to win.

Program Summary

Each month we are going to select a sample of some of the best stock in our inventory and give it away to a randomly selected sweepstakes participant.  Save your receipt!!  If you shopped online or in our Old Sacramento Store you are automatically eligible to win.  We will announce the prizes and winners on our facebook wall and in our email newsletter.  You have seven days from the announcement to contact us to claim your prize.

Winner Selected Randomly

The winner of each monthly prize will be selected randomly from a pool of entries.  An “entry” can come in the form of an  online receipt, an Old Sacramento Store receipt, a Rock of the Month Club monthly payment, or a manual entry (no purchase is necessary).  Each entry has an equal chance of winning.  There is no limit to the number of times that you can enter.  Drawings occur after the close of business (5:30 PM  PST) on the last day of the month.

Prize Announcement

Prizes are announced in three forums:  The Trailmix.Net Facebook Page, the Trailmix.Net Twitter page, and the Trailmix.Net email newsletter.  When announcing the prize, we will post an entry number.  If you were automatically entered into the sweepstakes, the entry number will be your unique receipt number.  If you entered the sweepstakes manually and your entry is randomly selected, we will post the entry number that you were assigned (See the “Manual Entry” section below for description of how to manually obtain an entry number).

How To Redeem Your Prize

If your winning entry number is posted in one of the three forums (facebook, twitter, newsletter), you can redeem your prize by contacting Trailmix.Net.  You must contact Trailmix.Net, Inc. before the close of business (5:30 PM PST) of the seventh day from the announcement to arrange a review of your receipt or manual entry information for confirmation.  In the event that nobody claims the sweepstakes prize, the sweepstakes will close for that month without a winner.  Prizes must be claimed by an adult over 18 years of age.

Manual Entry – No Purchase Necessary

No purchase is necessary to enter The Trailmix.Net Great Gear Giveaway.  To enter manually, send a hand-written 3×5 note card with your name, address, telephone number, date of entry, and email address as well as a single self addressed stamped envelope (SASE) to:

Trailmix.Net, Inc. Great Gear Giveaway Administrator
116B I Street
Sacramento, CA  95814

Entries must arrive before close of business (5:30 PM  PST) on the last day of the month.  We will reply to you with a sweepstakes entry number.  Limit one entry per envelope.

Eligibility:

The Trailmix.Net Great Gear Giveaway Sweepstakes is open only to legal residents of 50 United States or the District of Columbia who are 18 years of age or older.  The Trailmix.Net Great Gear Giveaway is subject to all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations and is void where prohibited by law.

Agreement to Official Rules:

By participating in any of the Trailmix.Net Great Gear Giveaway Sweepstakes, entrant fully and unconditionally agrees to and accepts these Official Rules and the decisions of the Administrator (Trailmix.Net, Inc.), which are final and binding in all matters related to the Trailmix.Net Great Gear Giveaway Sweepstakes.  Any changes to the rules governing the Trailmix.Net Great Gear Giveaway Sweepstakes will be posted on this page.  Rules are subject to change at any time.

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Here’s a way to get some extra mileage from your Jack-O-Lantern this year – use the pumpkin seeds and scraps to attract birds to a backyard feeder.

Pumpkin seeds can provide birds with a nutritious snack and create an opportunity for an educational expedition in bird watching, nature journaling, or bird photography.

To get started, place the pumpkin seeds and scraps of the softer pumpkin meat on an open tray.  Locate the tray in a place where kids can observe the activity.

What can you expect to see?  Finches, sparrows, jays, and juncos.  Follow these great bird photography tips if you want to expand the scope of your project into a nature shoot.

Need some more birdfeeding tips?  Pick up a copy of For the Birds – A Month to Month Guide to Attracting Birds to Your Backyard online or in our Old Sacramento Store.

Here’s a new twist on bird photography:  rather than photograph the bird, fashion a little camera backpack for it and capture the world from its point of view.  Have you ever wondered what a 150mph dive into a 10G turn looks like?  Watch this video to find out…

An Educational Expedition is a simple, four step planning process that parents can use to help leverage outdoor recreation and adventure to create learning experiences.  This post provides a template for creating an animal watching and wildlife viewing expedition in the Sacramento area.  If you don’t live near Sacramento you can still use the template, just replace the location information with your own.

You can download instructions about how to build an Educational Expedition here, but the Cliff’s Notes version is that you 1) select and activity, 2) choose a location, 3) set a goal, and 4) share your adventure.

Step 1:  Select an Activity.
In this case we are building an educational expedition around wildlife viewing.

Step 2:  Select a location.
Below (in the resources section of this post) is a list of twelve places where you can watch animals and view wildlife in the Sacramento Region.  Use the Google map to the right so see these locations on a map, or visit our Google map page here.  Scroll to the end of this post for additional information, descriptions, contact info, and wildlife viewing opportunities at each location.

Step 3:  Set a goal.
The key to building a good Educational Expedition is balancing adventure and learning in a way that is integrated.  The goal setting step is the most important part.  Here are four ideas that you can use to set your educational expedition goal.

• Look for animal tracks and sign, identify the mystery animals
• Find and photograph an animal native to your area, create a photojournal
• See how many birds you can find using Sacramento Audubon’s checklists.
• Many of the wildlife viewing destinations listed here offer guided nature walks.  Take a walk with a naturalist to expand your knowledge.

Note:  download our free Educational Expeditions ebook for a tutorial on setting SMART Goals.

Step 4:  Share Your Adventure:
Leave us a comment and tell us about your goal, what you saw, and what you learned!

Resources:

The list below provides additional information about 12 Wildlife Viewing locations in the Sacramento area.  Some of the birds and animals listed here are seasonal, use the contact information to learn more.

Mather Regional Park
Contact (916) 875-6672
Web: http://www.msa2.saccounty.net/parks/Pages/default.aspx
Habitat: Wooded lake, creeks, and grassland.  Mather Regional Park is best known for its display of springtime vernal pools and wildflowers.
What to See: Deer, owls, lizards, meadowlark, hawks, pheasants, magpies, quail, wild turkey, coyotes, and jays.
Guided Activities: Be sure to check out Sacramento Splash and their Nature in the Neighborhood programs where you can learn about Mather Regional Park wildlife and vernal pool habitat.

Effie Yeaw Nature Center and the American River Parkway
Contact: (916) 489-4918
Web: http://www.effieyeaw.org
Habitat: Oak woodland, cottonwoods, and riparian habitat along the American River.
What to See: Animals that you might see include wild turkey, deer, wood ducks, hawks, quail, hummingbirds, swallowtail butterflies, acorn woodpeckers, gulls, raccoon, otter.  Effie Yeaw nature center has guided tours and exhibits with live animals inside of their discovery store.

Nimbus and American River Hatcheries
Contact: (916) 355-2884
Web: http://www.yelp.com/biz/nimbus-fish-hatchery-gold-river
What to See: Here you will find salmon and trout in the raceways, hawks, gulls, kingfisher, osprey, waterfowl, and egrets.

Folsom Lake State Recreation Area
Contact: (916) 988-0205 ext 273
Web: http://folsom.parks.ca.us
Habitat: Shoreline, open woodlands and wetlands.
What to See: Kites, deer, turkey, quail, herons, hawks, white pelican, geese, lizards, beaver, muskrat.

Isenberg Crane Reserve
Contact: (916) 358-2353
Web: http://www.dfg.ca.gov/regions/3/cranetour/
Habitat: Freshwater marsh, grassland, flooded pasture
What to See: Sand Hill Cranes (fall/winter), barn owls, herons, pelicans, bibs, hawks, shrikes

Bobelaine Audubon Sanctuary
Contact: (916) 481-5332
Web: http://www.sacramentoaudubon.org/bobelainesanctuary.html
Habitat: lush woodlands along the Feather River
What to See: herons, great horned owls, wood ducks, quail, egrets, bald eagles

Stone Lake National Wildlife Refuge
Contact: (916) 775-4420
Web: http://www.stonelakes.org/
Habitat: Grassland, wetland, vernal pools
What to See: herons, egrets, owls, otter, beaver, shrikes, vernal pool flowers, ibis, pheasant, hawks, coyote, rabbits, white pelicans, sandhill cranes, geese, eagles

Laguna Creek Parkway
Contact: (916) 775-4420
Web: http://www.lagunacreek.org/
Habitat: grassland, marsh, vernal pools, creek
What to See: frogs, turtles, egrets, otter, songbitds, red-wing blackbird, muskrats, hawks, deer, magpies, opossum, kingfisher
Trail Map (pdf): http://www.yourcsd.com/parks/pdf/trail_map.pdf

Vic Fazio Yolo Wildlife Area
Contact: (530) 758-1018
Web: http://www.yolobasin.org/
Habitat: Wetland
What to See: black crowned night herons, owls, ibis, muskrat, avocets, hawks, orioles, blackbirds, heron, egrets, finches, kites, snow geese, kingfisher, raccoon, white pelicans, swans, ducks, bald eagle

Grizzly Island Wildlife Area
Contact: (707) 425-3828
Web: http://www.dfg.ca.gov/lands/wa/region3/grizzlyisland/index.html
Habitat: salt/freshwater marsh
What to See: river otter, tule elk, kites, hawks, skunk, otter, hummingbirds, egrets, rails, teals, shorebirds, songbirds, muskrat, peregrine falcons

Gray Lodge Wildlife Area
Contact: (530) 846-5176
Web: http://www.dfg.ca.gov/lands/wa/region2/graylodge/index.html
Habitat: Wetland
What to See: herons, teals, egrets, hawks, grebes, avocets, stilts, kingbirds, finches, muskrat, orioles, pelicans, marsh wrens, coots, bitterns, sandhill cranes, ducks, kites, pheasant, snow geese, ibis, deer, swans

Cosumnes River Preserve
Contact: (916) 683-1700
Web: http://www.cosumnes.org/
Habitat: marsh and riparian along the Cosumnes River
What to See: herons, hawks, otter, deer, owls, songbirds, turtles, blackbirds, avocets, bluebirds, pheasant, muskrat, sandhill cranes, stilts, geese, swans, ducks

Sacramento National Wildlife Reserve
Contact: (530) 934-2801
Web: http://www.fws.gov/sacramentovalleyrefuges/r_sac.html
Habitat: Seasonal marsh, permanent ponds, and uplands in the heart of the Sacramento Valley.
What to See: One of California’s premier waterfowl refuges. Waterfowl are present from September through March. View hundreds of thousands of geese and ducks from November through January. Many other birds and mammals provide year-round viewing.

Are owls really wise?  Can they swivel their heads 360-degrees around?  Do all owls hoot?  Owls have fascinated humans for centuries.  You can find several species of owls right around the Mather area.

Photo Credit: David Rosen/Wildside Photography

On Saturday, January 16th, from 3:00-6:00pm Sacramento Splash will host a program called “It’s a Hoot! – Owls of the Sacramento Region.”

Join Christine Adams and Sally Reynolds of the California Raptor Center as they bring several live owls from their facility for this presentation!  You can get up close and personal with spectacular live owls, including a Great-horned Owl, Barn Owl, Burrowing Owl, and a cute little Northern Saw-whet Owl!

In addition to meeting these live owls, you’ll see a brief slide show that features the calls of our local owls so you can find out “whoo’s” calling outside your window at night.  Then the kids can be nature detectives and investigate what owls like to eat by dissecting sterilized owl pellets!

Following the indoor portion of the program, you’ll have the option to join us for a guided walk to observe wild owls hunting in the grasslands of Mather Regional Park.

Wear good walking shoes if you plan to stay for the outdoor portion of this program.  Reserve your spot early – this program is a real hoot!

Important Information

• For more information visit www.sacsplash.org and click on “Nature in the Neighborhood”
• You may reserve a spot for this program (strongly recommended) on our website or by calling Splash at 916-364-2437.
• The Splash Education Center is located at 4426 Excelsior Rd., Mather, CA 95655.  For directions, visit our website and click on “Contact Us.”
• Suggested donations are $10.00/adult and $5.00/child (5-18).  Children must be accompanied by an adult.

If there is a single idea that Trailmix.Net stands for, it’s this:  Children (and their parents) need adventure.

That’s why we created Educational Expeditions, our free e-book.  First published on the Trailmix.Net blog in 2006, the Educational Expedition has been tested, revised, and simplified.  It’s a three step process for planning outdoor adventures with kids by helping parents tap into the educational potential of backyards, state parks, national parks, and other public lands.

Download your free copy today, and feel free to share it with friends.  When you use it, please consider sending us an note.  Whether you have text, photos, or just scratched a map on the back of a napkin at Denny’s, we don’t mind.  It’s the adventure and results, not the format , that matter and we would love to hear about it.

Last night I attended the annual meeting of the American River Natural History Association (ARNHA) and had the good fortune to meet Luna the owl (pictured below).  Luna has a cool job.  She helps the staff at the Effie Yeaw Nature Center present the outdoor world of the American River Parkway to children and adults.  You can visit her too….

Visit Luna the Owl at the Effie Yeaw Nature Center

If you live in or are visiting the Sacramento area and you haven’t visited the 77-acre nature preserve along the American River, you are missing out on a treat.  It is the perfect place to launch an educational expedition.  Each month they host free guided programs that range from evening beaver walks to exploring a Maidu Village.  If you prefer self guided walks you can hike their trails and in the heart of the Sac-Metro area your children will see deer, coyotes, migratory songbirds and wild turkeys in the preserve’s lush oak woodlands.

As Sacramento County works to fund critical programs such as police, fire, and child protective services, the county parks budget is facing severe cuts.  In the long term the Nature Center will need to learn to become fully self sufficient.  In the short term they are facing a rough time and have had to make some hard decisions including reduction of staff and educational programs.

The ARNHA was formed in 1981 to promote and support the Effie Yeaw Nature Center.  This year their support came through training of staff, providing volunteers, granting funds for volunteer coordination and community outreach, kiosk repair, and providing support for the discovery shop.

In short the ARNHA is a great cause that supports a fruitful program.  If you have any doubts, you can visit Effie Yeaw Nature Center and see for yourself.

 Here are five very inexpensive ways that you can support Effie Yeaw Nature Center:

• Visit the Effie Yeaw Nature Center in Sacramento, CA
• Join the American River Natural History Association
• Make a Donation and ask your employer to match it
• Buy a book online and learn about the Natural History of the American River
• Encourage a friend to take one of these steps!

Mather Field is one of the best places in the Sacramento area to view birds of prey, also known as raptors. From tiny American Kestrels to majestic  Golden Eagles, nearly a dozen different species of raptors can be seen at Mather.

This makes Mather Field an exceptional place for an educational expedition….

American Kestrel - Photo Credit Stefan Willoughby

Saturday, September 26  will be an especially good day to see raptors at Mather because falconer and raptor rehabilitator Bill Corbett will bring several live birds of prey to a presentation in the Sacramento Splash center on Excelsior road.  Attendees will  have the chance to get “up close and personal” with spectacular live raptors, including Tesla, a huge Golden Eagle, and Bob, an adorable little Western Screech Owl.

The first part of this program will take place in the Splash Education Center, where Bill will show his birds, tell the stories of how he obtained each one, and discuss the sport of falconry. You’ll get a close look at the unique and amazing adaptations that make raptors some of nature’s most efficient hunters.

Following the indoor portion of the program, we’ll venture into the field to watch Bill fly one of his trained birds and to look for wild raptors in their favorite habitats!

Binoculars provided or BYOB (bring your own binoculars) and wear good walking shoes for the field portion of this program. Reserve your spot early!

How to Sign Up:

You may reserve a spot for this program (required) ONLINE or by calling Splash at 916-364-2437.

The Splash Education Center is located at 4426 Excelsior Rd., Mather, CA 95655. For directions, click here.

Suggested donations are $10.00/adult and $5.00/child (5-18). Children must be accompanied by an adult.

If the bird world had a rock star, it would be the hummingbird.  If you were into [Tag]birding with kids[/Tag] and wanted to see a bunch of these rock stars in one big show, you could visit the Hummingbird Celebration at the Kern River Nature Preserve.

Sponsored by Audubon California, Friends of the Kern River Preserve, Herp Ecology, and the United States Post Office, the Hummingbird Celebration takes place on August 1-4, 2009 at the Kern River Nature Preserve.  The festival is free, but a $10 donation per adult is suggested.  Proceeds go toward the care and maintenance of the Kern River Preserve.  

Dubbed “The Hummingbird Capital of California”, the [Tag]Kern River Preserve[/Tag] is owned and managed by [Tag]Audubon California[/Tag].   Directions to the Kern River Preserve can be found here.

 [Tag]Hummingbird[/Tag] species that you might see include….

Black Chinned (photo:  Peter Baer via Flickr):

Anna’s (Photo Credit:  Peasap, via Flickr):

Costa’s (Photo Credit:  chdwckvnstrsslhm via Flickr)

Calliope (Photo Credit:  Michael Woodruff via Flickr)

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Rufous (Photo Credit:  Steve Berardi via Flickr)

During college I worked on campus as a research assistant.  A couple of us spent days and weeks gathering and archiving water samples for analysis.  The process was tedious and it always amazed me how much effort went into maintaining a modest library of samples.  This was before the internet, of course.  Now we have citizen science.

Citizen science harnesses the power of the internet and dedication of volunteers to capture massive numbers of samples, data, measurements, or computer resources.  If this intrigues you, read on because one of the biggest citizen science events is scheduled to start over presidents day weekend:  The Great backyard Bird Count (GBBC).

The GBBC is a joint project of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society.  It’s a great opportunity for families, students, and people of all ages to discover the wonders of nature in backyards, schoolyards, and local parks, and, at the same time make an important contribution to bird conservation.  The concept is pretty simple.  Participants count birds and report their sightings online at www.birdcount.org.

Data that the “citizen scientists” collect helps researchers understand bird population trends, information that is critical for effective conservation.  Their efforts enable everyone to see what would otherwise be impossible:  a comprehensive picture of where birds are in late winter and how their numbers and distribution compare with previous years.  In 2008, participants submitted more than 85,000 checklists.

Can’t tell a robin from a finch?  No worries, in many areas you can get some free training from your local Audubon Society.  Simply contact them and ask if you can join one of their free GBBC workshops for an orientation presentation.

The GBBC is a great outdoor activity for kids and families.  Visit www.birdcount.org to learn more.