Winter Bird Walk: Learn About Our Local Birds at Mountain Lakes Preserve

57 Mountain Ave,Princeton NJ 08540

26 February, 2022

Description

Celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Great Backyard Bird Count by spotting and learning about our local winter birds! Expert birder Winnie Spar will lead us on a guided bird walk through the Billy Johnson Mountain Lakes Nature Preserve, where we will observe Princeton's overwintering birds and learn about their fascinating habits. After the walk, we will return to the Mountain Lakes House for cocoa and donuts on the back terrace. This event is geared toward adults. We are limiting attendance to 15 guests, so please be sure that you can attend before signing up. This walk is being held in partnership with the Princeton Public Library. About the Great Backyard Bird Count: The Great Backyard Bird Count is a collaboration between Cornell Ornithology Lab, the Audubon Society, and Birds Canada/Oiseaux Canada. Now in its 25th year, this annual event is designed to encourage people to visit their favorite birding places to count as many birds as they can find. Bird counts are then reported back to the Great Backyard Bird Count, which compiles and distributes the observations. The counts help scientists better understand global bird populations before their annual migrations. To learn more: https://www.birdcount.org/ Princeton Public Library's Great Backyard Bird Count Program: The Princeton Public Library is encouraging community members to participate in the Great Backyard Bird Count. The Library is collaborating with local organizations, such as FOPOS, to get the community involved in programs and activities that promote the discovery of New Jersey birds. Visit the Princeton Public Library website to see what activities are in the works! WINNIE HUGHES SPAR has led bird walks for Washington Crossing Audubon Society and Princeton University Reunions, as well as annual Christmas bird counts in Princeton. She is author of the poetry chapbook Frost Flowers and teaches courses on literature and nature at the Watershed Institute. Photo: Chickadee by John Waaben Friends of Princeton Open Space (FOPOS), founded in 1969, is a non-profit, tax-exempt organization devoted to acquiring open space in Princeton for preservation, protecting natural resources, maintaining accessibility to trails, and providing environmental education. Throughout the Princeton region, FOPOS works with groups to support efforts to preserve and protect open space and the environment. In 2019, FOPOS will celebrate it's 50th year.  Since its founding, FOPOS has helped to establish over 1,000 acres of parkland and a network of trails that nearly encircles Princeton.  Through grants and the contributions of hundreds of people in the community, FOPOS has helped to raise over $5 million for the purchase of land and acquisition of easements on properties that might have been bulldozed for development.  In addition to land preservation, FOPOS also leads in stewardship, from creating and maintaining hiking trails, boardwalks and footbridges, to the removal of invasive species and the replanting of native varieties.  FOPOS also sponsors community programs and activities, such as nature walks and educational workshops, and advocates for governmental actions that protect our water, land, animals and plant communities. If you have an interest in spending time outdoors, enjoying nature and making a difference in the community, please contact us at [email protected] to get involved in trail-building and ecological restoration.