Winter Bird Count for Kids on Saturday, January 25

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The Santa Barbara Audubon Society (SBAS) presents a free educational event for children in our community: the 11th Annual Winter Bird Count for Kids. It will be held on January 25th, 2025, at Lake Los Carneros Park, located at 304 N. Los Carneros Road in Goleta. Registration/sign-in is from 9:00 to 9:30 a.m. on the grounds of Stow House.

This 3-hour event offers children ages 8-16 the opportunity to learn from expert birders about the various birds of our region. All budding birdwatchers must be accompanied by a responsible adult. The first 75 participants to sign in that day will receive a free t-shirt and a souvenir bird checklist.

Everyone is encouraged to bring binoculars; or some will be available on loan that morning. From 9:30 to 11:00 a.m., after sign-in and orientation at “Binocular Boot Camp”, participants will be guided around the lake by an experienced naturalist, recording the bird species they observe. Following the walk everyone will gather at Stow House, where a leader will guide the young birders through a compilation – a tally of the number of bird species seen (last year we had 49 species!) During the compilation, volunteers will display large photos of each species seen.

The main goal of this event is to inspire the next generation of nature-lovers. It is run entirely by volunteers with support by a grant from the City of Goleta.

For information, updates, or to pre-register, go to https://santabarbaraaudubon.org/events/wbc4k/. Pre-registration ends January 20th, but you can always register in person that morning. Heavy rain will cancel the event.

In addition to the Winter Bird Count for Kids, SBAS offers many other educational programs throughout the year. Visit https://santabarbaraaudubon.org/ for the latest news on events and advocacy efforts.