A red morph eastern screech-owl perches in a leafless winter tree.

A red morph eastern screech-owl near Kincardine, Lake Huron submitted to the Christmas Bird Count. Photo by Kiah Jasper

Even though Christmas is over, there is still time to participate in the Christmas Bird Count!

The Christmas Bird Count is North America’s longest-running community science project with thousands of volunteers contributing to one of the world’s largest sets of wildlife survey data. The results are used by conservation biologists, environmental planners, and naturalists to assess the population trends and distribution of birds.

With over 100 counting sites registered in the Great Lakes watershed, there are ample opportunities to get outside, connect with other nature lovers, and contribute to the study of your local wildlife.

To learn more about the Christmas Bird Count, find counting sites, or see data summaries from past years visit Birds Canada.

Watershed Education and Training Funding Opportunity for Indigenous Communities – NOAA

Photo by Scott Parent

NOAA recently announced the Great Lakes Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) for Indigenous Communities 2024 Federal Funding Opportunity is now open. Applications are due March 1, 2024.

The notice can be found at grants.gov under federal opportunity number NOAA-NOS-ONMS-2024-2008201.

The B-WET program funds locally operated, experiential learning for K-12 students and educators through Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences and supports outdoor opportunities and initiatives for youth that promote a healthy restoration and stewardship of the Great Lakes.

The B-WET program includes both outdoor and in-class learning opportunities and promotes environmental literacy through student engagement. It incorporates Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledge as part of its framework. The program applies multiple disciplines to develop an understanding of the relationships between society and the natural world.

The NOAA MWEE definition has been developed from the Chesapeake Bay Program Education Workgroup with more than a decade of implementation and evaluation work across the Country. NOAA has adopted the framework to take part in the development of projects within the watershed that promote environmental education, evaluation and research.

 

Watershed Wednesdays are our weekly roundup of the insightful, intriguing, important and inspiring news from around the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence watershed.