Come join Sequoia Riverlands Trust and local volunteers on Saturday, May 5th as we participate in eBird's Global Big Day! Last year, participants around the globe observed a record 6,637 different bird species on Global Big Day, and this year we're hoping to help shatter that record again.
We will be meeting up at 9 a.m. at the Harris Road entrance of Blue Oak Ranch Preserve (40865 Harris Road, Springville), and the Tulare County Audubon Society will be leading birding walks for beginners starting at 9:30 a.m. The first walk will cover the Dennison Creek riparian area and the large meadow adjacent to the riparian area, and will run from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. The second walk, which will run from 10:30-11:30 a.m., will start at the pond and will follow the trail up the hill and along the ridge. We will be recording all birds we observe and uploading this data to the eBird website as part of their effort to promote birding to the public while also collecting valuable data for scientists. If you have your own pair of binoculars, please bring them along.
From 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Sequoia Riverlands Trust will provide lunch, and then from 12:30 to 2 p.m., volunteers can help us to restore the Dennison Creek riparian area by planting native plants. This will help improve the health of function of this riparian area, which will in turn provide more habitat for the native bird species.
During this time of year, the weather can be erratic up in the foothills, so come prepared for anything. Layers are suggested since it often gets very warm in the afternoon, and boots as well as it can also be quite muddy in the riparian areas. Hats, sunglasses, and sunscreen are also a good idea. Please bring a water bottle (we will have water to refill them with) and binoculars if you have them.
