The 2nd Annual Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) will take place February 19th - 22nd, 1999. Organized by National Audubon and Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the Count is sponsored this year, in part, by Wild Birds Unlimited (a franchise of retail stores for backyard bird enthusiasts) and Ford Motor Company. Our goal: to have at least one million of the 50 to 60 million North Americans who watch birds contribute data. This year we seek to increase school participation, and hope to include those retirees and other birdwatchers who do not have computers but do feed and watch birds in their backyards. Folks without computer access could give their lists to local chapters (want to volunteer?) where, in a minute or two, their data could be submitted.

As the event evolved last February, we recognized its educational potential. Fourteen thousand citizen-scientists studied their backyards last February. This year, in addition to individuals and families, we are eager to involve classrooms across the continent -- at least 50 thousand (please notify parents, schools and local newspapers through your newsletters/press releases!).

The GBBC offers the classroom teacher the opportunity to teach environmental literacy through an inquiry-based science activity and state-of-the-art technology. This winter, we will provide instructional materials that prepare the teacher and the class for the event and guide them through the data collection and submission, as well as suggest additional related activities. Sample materials and the tallies from last year will also be available on the Web http://birdsource.cornell.edu/ from late October through the end of February.

The data we collect this year will allow us to begin to look for trends and population shifts, and enable assessment of the impacts of unique weather patterns. We'll watch for signs of trouble as well as recovery in species and habitats, helping students to understand, enjoy, and cherish their local backyards and the great North American backyard we all share.

Photo Caption: Two students check out the 1998 Great Backyard Bird Count on the NAS and Cornell Lab of Ornithology Web sites. Photo Credit: Courtesy, Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

For more info, and to learn how your chapter can participate, contact:
Sally Conyne, Dir., NAS Citizen Science; Rushland, PA 18956; e-mail: sconyne@audubon.org; OR
Cornell Lab; 159 Sapsucker Woods Rd.; Ithaca, NY 14650; ph: 1-800/843-BIRD (2473); OR
Alicia Craig-Lich, Wild Birds Unlimited; ph: 1-888/302-2473, or 317/571-7100; e-mail: craiglicha@wbu.com.

To visit Web sites:
NAS: http://www.audubon.org/campaign/fh/
Cornell: http://www.ornith.cornell.edu/
Wild Birds Unlimited: http://www.wbu.com/.