Still Room For New Teams To Compete In First-Ever PA Breeding Bird Blitz For Conservation June 18-21; Make A Donation To Support Your Favorite Team!

The first-ever Breeding Bird Blitz for Conservation, hosted by the Pennsylvania Society for Ornithology, will feature at least 18 teams searching for birds and raising funds for conservation between June 18th and 21st.

The teams will engage in friendly competition to observe the most species in a county or region while raising funds for three critical bird conservation projects, focusing on protection of Wood Thrush and Northern Harrier habitat. 

The Breeding Bird Blitz for Conservation was founded by PSO to meet two goals: (1) enhance the monitoring of birds during the nesting season, and (2) increase the protection or restoration of habitats birds listed as Species of Greatest Conservation Need in Pennsylvania. 

Birders engaging in this event are generating more data – primarily through the eBird database – about the status and distribution of all bird species in Pennsylvania during the month of June. 

In the weeks leading up to the Blitz, birders will intensively scout their county or region to determine which sites should be visited during the event. Those same birders are being given the platform of the event to engage their families and friends in supporting their passion for bird conservation. 

All donations from this year’s event will be evenly split to support bird conservation projects at three nonprofits: Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, Manada Conservancy, and Western Pennsylvania Conservancy. 

PSO is covering all of the administrative costs of the program, so every penny donated will go to the conservation projects.

As of June 7, the teams have raised more than $5,000 toward a new goal of raising $7,500.

Team members are enlisting their friends and families to support their efforts with a donation, and some are offering pledges to donate a set amount per species observed.

New teams may still register until Sunday, June 13 at the Breeding Bird Blitz for Conservation website. 

The website can also be used to donate in support of one of the teams participating.

For more information, visit the Breeding Bird Blitz for Conservation website.

Visit the Pennsylvania Society for Ornithology to learn more about programs, initiatives, educational opportunities, upcoming events and more.

[Posted: June 7, 2021] PA Environment Digest