BLM and the Audubon Society partner to host Migratory Bird Day event
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COEUR D’ALENE, Idaho – In partnership with the local Coeur d’Alene Audubon Society, the Bureau of Land Management’s Coeur d’Alene Field Office will hold a Migratory Bird Day event at BLM’s Blackwell Island recreation site on Saturday, May 19. The free event will begin at 9 a.m. and end at 2 p.m. Bird lovers of all ages are invited to celebrate “The Year of the Bird” at this hands-on, family-oriented event.
BLM’s Migratory Bird Day is hands-on and activity-filled, with educational stations throughout the recreation site. Families can go on a forest scavenger hunt along the natural trail, create pine cone feeders, take part in a migration obstacle course, and more! A yearly favorite not to be missed is the banding station where youngsters can have their wingspans measured and be "banded" with a take-home bracelet. Everyone is also invited to a live birds of prey presentation at 11:30 a.m. in the group picnic shelter.
“We hope the event will inspire youth, planting the seeds to help them grow into future public land stewards and even bird advocates,” said Kurt Pavlat, Coeur d’Alene field manager.
Audubon volunteers and BLM staff will be on-site throughout the event to help provide information about the perils and wonders of bird migration. They will also share tips on how to both understand and create bird habitats, as well as which bird songs you are most likely to hear in the northern Idaho area.
Now in its 25th year, International Migratory Bird Day (IMBD) has grown from a one-day event into a framework underpinning hundreds of projects and programs year-round. IMBD is coordinated by Environment for the Americas, a Colorado-based organization. Their programs inspire children and adults to get outdoors, learn about birds, and participate in their conservation. Each year IMBD explores a different aspect of migratory birds. In 2018, we celebrate the ways we can help to protect birds every day of the year through actions, stories and art.
BLM’s Blackwell Island recreation site is located just south of Coeur d’Alene off the Highway 95 bridge. Look for the sign and come join us! The site will be open for this event only; the boat launches will not be opening until later in May. For more information please call (208) 769-5000.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.