Participant Resources for Climate Watch

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Program Information

To orient you to the program, please review the following:

Climate Watch for Beginners (April 16, 2025, 59 min) - This webinar covers the science behind the program, provides an overview of Climate Watch, steps through the protocol, and shares some recent results. Answers to questions raised during the webinar are found here. 

• A two-page printable handout provides a general overview for beginners.
• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Join Us with Five Steps

After you've familiarized yourself with the program, follow the steps below to get started. These steps align with those outlined in our one-page overview protocol document.

 Steps 1 & 2  |   Step 3   |   Step 4   |   Step 5 

Steps 1 & 2: See if there is a local Coordinator in your area, then select your target species and claim a square.

• Check the Coordinator listing and reach out to your local coordinator. If there is no coordinator in your area, no problem! You can participate on your own. Just follow the five steps outlined on this page. If you are interested in becoming a local coordinator, start by reading the materials on this page. 
• Learn how to select your target species and claim a square using the Climate Watch Tool by watching our Getting Started tutorial (May 9, 2025, 14 min).
• Want help picking your target species? This document has a table showing which birds need more surveys for each state. 

Claim a Square with the Climate Watch Tool

Step 3: Identify twelve survey points in your Climate Watch square.

• Learn how to think through suitable survey sites for your target species and use our Climate Watch Tool to plan and plot your points by watching our Planning Your Survey Sites tutorial (May 9, 2025, 17 min).

Plan Survey Points with the Climate Watch Tool

Step 4: Conduct your surveys during the summer and/or winter season.

• Learn how to conduct Climate Watch surveys by reviewing our Conducting Surveys Tutorial (May 9, 2025, 10 min).
• You only need to complete your surveys (12 points) once during the survey season.

Step 5: Submit your data. 

• Visit our data submission page to find information and forms for the three options to submit your data to Climate Watch
• Learn how to submit your data by reviewing our Submitting Data Tutorial (May 15, 2025, 13 min).
• If you plan to submit your data manually, you can use our printable Climate Watch Data Collection Form and Data Collection Template. If you use these printable forms, please make sure that you follow the methods on the How to Submit your Data to Climate Watch to submit your data to Audubon and do not email these forms to us. 

Submit Climate Watch Data

Program Resources

• A variety of resources are available on our Promotion and Education page
• Printable bird ID guide of the 12 target species.
• Climate Watch Survey Manual details the full protocol and steps for surveys.