Go birding in state parks next weekend

[Glenn Palmgren]

Birders,
I'd like to encourage all birders to spend a little time exploring a state
park or state recreation area next weekend (June 10-11). Michigan DNR, Parks
& Recreation Division is organizing an event called Project GO-Get Outdoors
to encourage as many people as posible to spend time in state parks that
weekend participating in various activities. I thought this would be a
perfect opportunity for birders to show their support of Michigan's state
park system (97 parks and 265,000+ acres) and simultaneously gather some
important data on bird use of parks during this time of year. We have pretty
good data to document the importance of heavily birded state parks like
Tawas Point and Warren Dunes, but little or no data on bird use of many
other less birded parks. This is a perfect opportunity for birders to
collectively show that birding can generate a significant level of visitor
use. It is also a perfect time to spend a couple hours at that little-known
state park that you've seen before while driving around and thought "I
should check that place out someday".
 
Have you seen the Orchard Oriole reported yesterday at Wetzel State
Recreation Area in Macomb County?
Have you heard the Cerulean Warblers singing at Waterloo or Pontiac Lake
State Recreation Areas?
Have you seen the Prairie Warblers on territory at many of the "dune parks"
along Lake Michigan?
When was the last time you spent some time in the back-country at
Tahquamenon Falls State Park taking in the song of the warblers on their
breeding territories?
How many species can you observe in one hour while sitting on the raft at
Palms Book State Park?
 
If you can spare the entire weekend, or even an hour on Saturday morning,
please consider participating in this event to show your support of state
parks and add to the collective knowledge of how these parks are used by
breeding birds. Participants in the Breeding Bird Atlas are encouraged to
survey an atlas block that falls within a state park or state recreation
area on June 10 or 11.
 
Please see the press release below for more information. A checklist is
available on the DNR website as described below. To participate, all you
need to do is go birding and send in your checklist (the one on the website
or just a hand-written or typed list) by mail, email, or fax when you get
back.
 
Thanks in advance for your participation!
 
Glenn
 
glenn.palmgren at comcast.net (home)
or palmgreg at michigan.gov (work)
 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 18, 2006

CONTACT: Glenn Palmgren 517-373-7844 or Colleen Steinman 517-373-0399 

Birding Activities Planned for Project GO-Get Outdoors

Birdwatchers are invited to spend time outdoors observing birds at
Michigan's state parks and recreation areas during Project GO-Get
Outdoors/Free Fishing Weekend on June 10-11.

Birdwatchers of all skill levels can spend a few hours at any of the 97
state parks and recreation areas on June 10 or 11 and report your sightings.
Experienced birders could organize guided hikes with local clubs or friends.
At any level of participation, participants will show support for these
unique pieces of land and help to increase everyone's knowledge of the use
of state parks and recreation areas by birds during the breeding season.

"We're encouraging people to keep a list of all the birds they find in each
park that weekend, noting the dates, times, and name and experience level of
those who participated," said Glenn Palmgren, DNR parks ecologist. "This
information will help guide better management of specific sites in the
future."

A bird checklist that can be used for this Project GO weekend is available
on the DNR Web site ( <outbind://2/www.michigan.gov/dnr>
www.michigan.gov/dnr) by clicking on the Recreation & Camping link, then
clicking GO-Get Outdoors.

Experienced birders participating in the Michigan Breeding Bird Atlas II are
encouraged to complete one or more of their point counts or complete an
atlas block survey that falls within a state park or recreation area on June
10 or 11. The 2006 International Piping Plover Census (
<http://fresc.usgs.gov/products/ppl> http://fresc.usgs.gov/products/ppl) is
scheduled for June 3-16. Volunteers who plan to be at a state park that may
have piping plovers during Project GO are asked to consider coordinating
with the piping plover census to ensure a more accurate count of these
endangered plovers on Michigan's Great Lakes shorelines.

For questions, or to send in your checklist after the Project GO event,
please contact DNR Parks Ecologist Glenn Palmgren at (517) 373-7844 or by
e-mail at palmgreg at michigan.gov.

The DNR is committed to the conservation, protection, management, use and
enjoyment of the state's natural resources for current and future
generations.

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