Grab a team and get down to finding birds; celebrate your count at The West Woods. Who’s on your team? How many species can you all check off in 24 hours?
Get two or more people together and dedicate a day to exploring the Chagrin River Valley – from your own backyard to Lake Erie south to the Aurora branch – in search of feathered fall residents and migrants!
To register for the Chagrin River Bird Quest or learn more, please visit Cleveland Audubon Society. Then plan to visit The West Woods Nature Center on Friday, September 22nd from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., to pick up your team check-in and final registration, as well free maps, checklists and T-shirts, and to talk strategy with teammates and naturalists.
Official hours of the marathon are Friday at 4:00 p.m. till Saturday at 6:30 p.m.
“While it is a competition for some folks, success is measured by how much fun you have while finding as many birds as possible,” said Naturalist Linda Gilbert. “You can search anywhere in the Chagrin River Watershed or any of its tributaries: parks that are in Geauga, Lake, Portage or Cuyahoga counties, or right in your own backyard if you live in the Chagrin River Watershed area.”
For a map of this area, please visit .
Then return to The West Woods Nature Center on Saturday, September 23rd from 4:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., for a finale celebration complete with checklist judging, hearty refreshments, awards and door prizes – a wonderful way to celebrate your recent connection with Nature.
Tips for the search? Directing your search to areas or parks with a variety of habitats will increase your chances of finding birds, Linda said. “Early morning or early evening/dusk are good times to be out,” she added. “And don’t forget about listening for owls at night!”
The Chagrin River Bird Quest is a Nature’s Not to Be Missed activity, which means our naturalists highly recommend it for connecting to special natural phenomena of the season. This is Geauga Park District’s first year with the quest! Please call 440-286-9516 with questions.
For more on Geauga Park District offerings, please call 440-286-9516 or visit us online at Geauga Park District, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or YouTube.
