What began in 1998 with just 500 volunteers has grown into an annual event spanning hundreds of thousands of people and more than 100 countries around the world. It’s the Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC), organized initially by the National Audubon Society and Cornell Lab of Ornithology. In 2016 the participants to this event submitted 162,052 bird observation checklists. You can easily be one of those citizen scientists who helps with the count in 2017.

The Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) is now a partnership between the National Audubon Society, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology (database center for bird research in the world), and Bird Studies Canada as the official Canadian partner. It is an annual four-day event that engages people of all ages across North America, Central America, South America, Europe, Africa, India and Australia in counting birds to create a real-time snapshot of where the birds are. Anyone can participate, from beginners to experts. You can count for as little as 15 minutes on a single day, or for as long as you like each day of the event. It’s free, fun, and easy – and it helps to protect the birds.

This year, the 20th annual GBBC will be held Friday, February 17, through Monday, February 20, 2016.  Please visit the official website at birdcount.org for more information. And, you can also learn how to identify and be involved in the Bird Count by attending the Burien Birdfest on February 18, 2017.

This is a free, public education event about Birds for children, families and adults at the Burien Community Center from 10am-2pm. This Birdfest event is co- sponsored locally by the Environmental Science Center, Burien Parks and Recreation, Bob and Chestine Edgar, Sustainable Burien, Wild Birds Unlimited and by other national and international sponsors.

Exciting events planned for the Burien Birdfest may include: participate in scavenger hunts, make a pine cone bird feeder, dissect an owl pellet, learn how to use binoculars or make a simple pair, learn how to easily identify birds in your neighborhood, go on a guided bird counts, play bird bingo, touch real bird skins, learn how plastics effect ocean birds and the Earth Day beach cleanup (coming soon), find out how to attract birds to your neighborhood, experience a nest building activity and other surprises.

For more information, details and to REGISTER, please visit WWW.EnvScienceCenter.org or call 206-248-4266.