On February 7, 2023, Geoff LeBaron, Audubon’s Christmas Bird Count director, affirmed in front of Canadian Parliament, particularly their Committee on Science and Research. The committee is presently studying the significance and contributions of “citizen” science (likewise described as neighborhood science). They have an interest in discovering the worth of these kinds of programs in all disciplines in order to much better comprehend nature in Canada. Geoff shared the history and significance of the Christmas Bird Count, in addition to how often the Count and other neighborhood science programs are utilized for preservation research study—a considerable contribution from the general public and non-governmental companies to meet a significant ecological tracking requirement.
“Community Science is an important part of how Audubon and other conservation organizations collect data. For example, tens of thousands of volunteers throughout the Americas brave snow, wind, or rain to take part in the Christmas Bird Count each year. The data collected is then used to assess the health of bird populations throughout the hemisphere and helps to guide conservation action,” discusses Geoff, who has actually been directing the Christmas Bird Count considering that 1987.
The Christmas Bird Count remains in its 123rd year, making it North America’s longest-running neighborhood science bird task. And considering that its creation in 1900, the program has actually grown greatly. Today, volunteers take part in countless counts in all 50 US states, in all Canadian provinces, numerous Central and South American nations, and numerous Pacific and Caribbean islands. In a fixed window from mid-December to early January, these groups of volunteers choose a day to perform a count. They typically divide into groups and thoroughly count the varieties of birds of each types that they recognize within the borders of a thoroughly recommended 15-mile size circle. They then send their findings back to Audubon, or in Canada, to partners Birds Canada. The information gathered by Christmas Bird Count individuals throughout the years have actually supplied a wealth of details enabling scientists to release numerous peer-reviewed documents on the ecology, preservation status, and population patterns of early winter season bird populations throughout North America and throughout the hemisphere.
“I was honored to be invited to speak to the Parliament of Canada about Audubon’s Christmas Bird Count and its importance to our understanding of the status and trends of birds in North America, as well as to the acceptance of “citizen” science information sets by the clinical neighborhood,” said Geoff. “Members (of the committee) were especially pleased to hear about the incredible contributions of all participants, and that Christmas Bird Count data are freely available for use in conservation research.”
You can listen to the whole hearing, consisting of Geoff’s statement here. [Audio will be published here when it is made available. Please check back.]
