13 DAYS OF FREE BIRDING WORKSHOPS TAKES FLIGHT EARTH DAY

Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com

MUSKOKA-HALIBURTON — A bird’s eye view of the world on Earth Day has to beat looking down from upon in the international space station, a plane or a drone.

Ask the folks at the Land Between and Turtle Guardians.

Let’s work together in 2021 to connect to and care for nature- together, they say in a release today.

“We rely on the Earth for our wellbeing in so many ways, and these services, provided by nature, are irreplaceable.”

They say examples include pollination for our food supplies, they say.

Did you know that many insects including mosquitoes are pollinators, and so are bats and some birds?

Medicines, foods and products come from the earth; from aspirins, fungi to treat cancer; nuts, beans, roots, sugars; to wood, soil, and even sand for concrete.

Trees filter the air and offer shade to cool waters and homes alike;  aquatic plants filter water and are homes for zooplankton, and fish…and on.

The species that contribute, and their interrelationships are an endless intricate web.

Turtles, too, are essential to our wellbeing; they consume proteins when young, scouring lakes and wetlands for carcasses and helping to keep waters free of pathogens, and when older they consume mostly seeds and vegetation, spreading biodiversity as they tour their territories.

But in addition to these tangible services, nature provides a source of spiritual respite and sanctuary, healing, instruction and also inspiration.

13 Days of Birding:

Birding is like treasure hunting; it is exciting and awe-inspiring.

Getting to know the birds in your backyard can tell you a lot about what is happening with the weather, who is nearby and in the neighbourhood, and also what is happening in the habitat; is the sap running; are the fish spawning and more. Watching birds is like reading nature’s news.

The Land Between says they have been working hard to create tools and bring you opportunities to learn the language of birds.

And they are pleased to offer workshops to support your entry into birding.

Learn how to identify all the birds in your backyard in The Land Between with Xavier Tuson, our senior Conservation Technician. Workshops are live, on zoom, and with tailored instruction and time for questions and answers too.

Workshops are held every Tuesday and Thursday.

And, although the workshops started in April, there are more coming through to May.

Remaining workshop dates and themes are as follows:

  • April 22 6:30-7:30 Shorebirds
  • April 27 6:30-7:30 Birds of Prey
  • April 29 6:30-7:30 Thick-billed birds (corvids, woodpeckers…)
  • Tuesday May 4th 6:30-7:30 Insectivores (Cuckoos, Shrikes, Vireos…)
  • May 6th 6:30-7:30 Songbirds (chickadees, titmice….)
  • May 11th 6:30-7:30 Large Songbirds (mocking birds, thrushes…)
  • May 13th 6:30-7:30 Finches
  • May 18th 6:30-7:30 Warblers!!!

Workshops are free, but donations are appreciated and will help us raise funds for our Motus bird monitoring programs, which will help track bird migration and advance habitat conservation across this flyway.

To join a workshop follow this link

Join the Land Between to learn more about the birds you see, hear and that contribute the well-being of the planet in new ways in these 13 free workshops starting today.

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