In just a few days, a dedicated group of Jasper birders will head into the park for a day of聽 counting.
They鈥檒l be participating in the National Audubon Society鈥檚 annual Christmas Bird Count, a 114-year-old tradition that Jasper residents have been a part of for decades.
Hosted by the Audubon Society, the Christmas Bird Count happens across North America, and in pockets across the world.
Touted as 鈥渙ne of the world鈥檚 oldest and most influential citizen science programs鈥� by the society, the bird count aims to record worldwide trends in the avian population by taking one day a year to literally count as many birds as possible.
Participating communities of birders pick a focal point and draw a 24-km diameter circle around it, endeavoring to count as many birds as possible inside that circle.
Gord Ruddy has run the bird count in Jasper for 14 years. He said the information collected by the bird count over the last century is staggering.
鈥淎ny individual Christmas count doesn鈥檛 really give you a whole lot of science, but when you compile them up over 100 years 鈥� it really has become a huge, huge body of scientific knowledge: where the birds are and where they鈥檙e moving and total numbers.鈥�
He said every year they also record a lot of technical information, such as how far the birders travelled, how long they spent in the field and detailed weather information. This, Ruddy said, helps contextualize the information they gather.
While the process isn鈥檛 precisely scientific, the large sample size and century-long span of the project allows conservationists to glean a substantial amount of information.
鈥淎ll over the place there are people who are sort of mulling over the composite,鈥� Ruddy said.
According to the Audubon Society, the count has helped with bird conservation across North America, including the recovery of the bald eagle and protecting water fowl.
Ruddy encourages anyone who wants to participate to come out Dec. 14. He said he hopes about 20 people will show up, but more are always welcome.
Inexperienced birders are welcome as well, he said, because they can still help out when partnered with the long-time vets.
For more information on the Dec. 14 count, or to sign up to take part, contact the Friends of Jasper at 780-852-4767.
To see Jasper鈥檚 bird count results for the past 40 or so years, visit www.audubon.org.
Trevor Nichols
[email protected]
