The Ohio Young Birders Club raised over $3,000 during the club’s recent Big Sit fundraiser.

The idea behind the event was to raise money through pledges and gifts based on the number of bird species identified from 17-foot circle during a limited period of time – the more species spotted, the more money that would be raised.

The event took place at the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge near Oak Harbor on Sunday, Oct. 10, from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

The young birders spotted an impressive 62 species during those hours, including bald eagles, hawks, tundra swans and five species of woodpeckers.

Proceeds raised from the Big Sit will benefit both the club and the Middle Bass Island Preserve restoration project of the Black Swamp Conservancy and its Lake Erie Islands Chapter.

“We all had a wonderful time counting at the Big Sit,” says a blog post at birdfreak.com by some of the Big Sit participants. The blog goes on to state that the Lake Erie island preserve “is a crucial stopover for migratory birds with an impressive 700 feet of natural shoreline; a very worthy cause.”

The Ohio Young Birders Club is a statewide group for young people ages 12 to 18 who have an interest in birds and in nature. The club is an education program of the Black Swamp Bird Observatory, a research and education organization based in Oak Harbor.

While similar in name, Black Swamp Conservancy and Black Swamp Bird Observatory are separate organizations. The Black Swamp Conservancy, based in Perrysburg, is a land trust dedicated to protecting agricultural land and natural areas, now and for future generations, through land conservation agreements. The Conservancy does so to preserve the rural heritage, unique natural habitats, and lakes and streams of northwest Ohio.

Black Swamp Bird Observatory is a nonprofit dedicated to promoting conservation by advancing knowledge of the needs of migrant and resident birds through scientific research; by using this knowledge to instill appreciation and understanding of birds and their habitats through education and outreach; and by encouraging community awareness and participation.

Ohio Young Birders Club member Elliott Miller, 14, of Avon, Ohio, scans the marsh for another new species to add to the Big Sit Tally Board.

Comments (0)

Subscribe to this comment's feed