After people hear about our Bluebird Trails, we always have calls and emails asking us how they can get involved. We love that! Not everyone has the time to be a full-fledged citizen scientist, so we have a few suggestions on how you can help restore the birds in our community. Find the one that fits you best, and put up a nest box!
Songbird Appreciator
Just put up a nest box or two in your yard! Simple as that. Give songbirds in our neighborhood a place to live and enjoy. At the end of the season in September, remember to clean out your boxes so that when the birds return, they’ll have another home.
Songbird Maintainer
Go to NestWatch.org and read the Code of Conduct and nest monitoring protocol. After putting up the nest boxes, check on them from time to time. Practice identifying nests and eggs. Take some notes for yourself, and learn the bird’s habits first-hand. In September, do a final clean.
Citizen Scientist
Put up boxes and monitor! Go to NestWatch.org and read the Code of Conduct and nest monitoring protocol, then take the short quiz to show you’re ready. For more information on monitoring correctly, click on the green tabs on the left side of the page. Set up an account and map your nest boxes! Check each box once a week, record what you find, and keep your data updated online. This gives you a way to make your experience tangible, and you can see your successes in numbers!
If you’re just testing the waters, feel free to start as a Songbird Appreciator and move up in the ranks after a season. Just having another nest box is beneficial to the community. We hope that you’ll find a level of involvement that you enjoy!
