Gifted Atlanta

If your child enjoys nature and would get a kick out of being one of the scientists in a HUGE scientific study, plan to take part in the Great Backyard Bird Count, which begins this Friday.

Every year, the Audubon Society and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology sponsor the bird count, conducted by bird watchers of all ages across the country. The bird watch helps scientists understand how many birds are in different locations and how bird populations are changing. It’s a project your child can do at home, at school, at a local park or any other location. Last year, birdwatchers submitted more than 97,000 checklists of birds they observed.

To participate, you’ll spend a minimum of 15 minutes observing one location, on one or more days between Feb. 18 and Feb. 21, 2011. All you have to do is tally how many birds of different varieties you see. Then you submit your count through the web site (link above). You can do just 15 minutes on one day and stop, or you can do lots more observations at different times of day and even different locations.

If your gifted child really enjoys birding, they can continue to make observations and submit them for scientific use all year long through eBird, another program of Audubon and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.