Creemore is for the birds on International Migratory Bird Day
Spring is coming to Creemore and so are visitors from all over North, South and Central America. These visitors are the feathered kind – bobolinks, hummingbirds, warblers and more.
Creemore BIA is celebrating International Migratory Bird Day on Saturday, May 13.
The Happy Bird Day celebrations will include talks by local birding enthusiasts, a birdhouse decorating contest, family crafts and activities as well as bird-based promotions and specials at various Creemore retailers. A local hiking map and birding suggestions will also be available throughout the village and online.
“The Creemore BIA knows that our area is a perfect stopover site – for both birds and people,” said BIA president Jackie Durnford. “We want to raise awareness of the habitat that makes us all want to be here and help educate our community on how we can preserve and enhance the environment in order to help our feathered friends. We also want to encourage people to visit and enjoy our village and the surrounding country side in a healthy respectful manner.”
The BIA chose to be part of International Migratory Bird Day, now in its 24th year, coordinated by Environment for the Americas because of the breadth of educational materials and information provided by the organization as well as the shared the goal of inspiring children and adults to get outdoors, learn about birds, and participate in their conservation.
“This is our first year being involved with this initiative and we hope that by working with an international organization we, as a very small group, can be part of something much bigger,” says Durnford. “This is just a fledgling celebration this year, but we hope the idea will really take flight over the years.”
“Helping Birds Along the Way” is the theme for the only international education program that celebrates the migration of nearly 350 bird species between their nesting habitats in North America and wintering grounds in Latin America, Mexico, and the Caribbean. The focus is on the importance of stopover sites, crucial refuges where migratory birds rest and refuel before continuing their remarkable journeys. Because these flights can stretch thousands of kilometres across continents and oceans, the birds depend upon a handful of resource-rich and strategically located habitats to acquire the energy-rich fat stores they need to survive of which Creemore is one.
“Ultimately, the goal of IMBD is to connect people to nature through birds,” said Laura Koloski, program coordinator for Environment for the Americas who spear heads the transcontinental Bird Day effort.
For more information about International Bird Day visit experiencecreemore.com. Participants, volunteers and local businesses are encouraged to contact sara@creemore.com to get involved or for more information.
