#BigYearAtHome Team
In July we challenge our #BigYearAtHome community to 1) Explore a National Wildlife Refuge and 2) Take a Kid Birding.
Explore our National Wildlife Refuge System and the birds that use the habitats that our National Wildlife Refuges protect and manage.
- First, CLICK HERE to find and learn about a Wildlife Refuge near you. You can explore the Refuge you find on an interactive map and then go to the Refuge’s website to learn more about its wildlife and its history.
- After you find a Refuge of interest, CLICK HERE to go to eBird’s Explore National Wildlife Refuges tool. Use this tool to learn more about the birds on a Refuge. First you will find what birds have been recently seen on the Refuge. Use the “Bar Chart” link to see all of the birds that have been seen on the Refuge and when each bird is most likely to be there. Check out high counts, the Hotspots map, top birders, and more.
- Now you’re ready to visit the Refuge you have found and see and enjoy the birds that are there. Make sure to check the refuge website regarding any closures that might be in place due to Covid, or Covid-safe protocols that you will need to observe while visiting the refuge. When you visit remember to keep track of the birds you see, enter your sightings into eBird, and share your eBird list with the #BigYearAtHome eBird account.
Take A Kid Birding — Take this July challenge and help a youth get outside to go birdwatching!
Even if you’re not a birder yourself, you can help a kid engage with the natural world and go on an educational adventure with the help of a bird book or a phone app. Kids are naturally curious learners and you might learn something along the way.
- CLICK HERE to see some of the great resources eBird has for young birders. Check out the Young Birder Blogs or see if there is a Young Birder Club near you.
- Use eBird’s colorful BirdQuest Booklet to adventure through six bird watching challenges — from meeting eBird, to collecting and and submitting an eBird checklist, to taking action by improving habitat for birds. CLICK HERE to access the BirdQuest Booklet.
- Go find some birds and help your young birding friend upload their very own eBird checklists. Their observations will help scientists understand more about the birds in your area. CLICK HERE to see step-by-step instructions for entering an eBird checklist. Remember to share the checklists with our #BigYearAtHome eBird account.
Please let us know how you participate in the #BigYearAtHome July Challenge
Share your results on Facebook and Twitter, include the hashtag “#BigYearAtHome” on your post, and tag us at at @PartnersInFlight (Facebook & Twitter), @USFWS (Facebook & Twitter), @USFWSRefuges (Facebook & Twitter), @usfwsmigratorybirds (Facebook), and @USFWSBirds (Twitter).
- Share what you learned about a Refuge you explored or post a link with more information about the Refuge.
- Share your eBird checklists with our #BigYearAtHome eBird account (eBird account name “bigyearathome”). CLICK HERE to learn how to share an eBird checklist.
- Contact us directly to share your #BigYearAtHome story; use the contact form at the bottom of the #BigYearAtHome website.
CLICK HERE to learn more about the #BigYearAtHome Campaign, our interactive, fun, engaging, friendly, and collaborative challenge that aims to welcome different kinds of communities to participate in birdwatching and bird conservation activities.
THANKS FOR PARTICIPATING!