Where do all those birds go when they take off in the winter? Why do they come back in the springtime?
These are some of the questions one might ask when they cast their gaze to the sky and watch flocks of birds, most recognizably the Canada Goose– a symbol of the country’s national identity– as these birds travel elsewhere for certain seasons.
The answer to those questions, and many more, can be answered this Saturday, May 10, as ecological groups, like the Cochrane Ecological Institute (CEI), commemorate the arrival of World Migratory Bird Day.
The CEI, which since 1967 has worked on ecosystem restoration projects, animal rehabilitation, and ecological education programs, is organizing a special speaker series to help teach the local population about bird identification and about migratory bird species in southern Alberta.
The free-to-attend speaker series will feature ornithologist and lead guide for Meadowlark Birding Tours, Gavin McKinnon, who will lead the series on Zoom.
Ali Morrison, a volunteer with CEI who leads the Institutes educational outreach programs, said the goal of the speaker series, which is planned to be book-ended by a guided walk of the Cremona marsh area at the end of May, is to teach and inform people about the local areas migratory birds.
“We really want people to know about this and come out and learn,” Morrison said. “People can sit for an hour with a coffee in their living room or outside and learn about the birds they’re going to see in their gardens, greenspaces, and while out walking.”
Morrison added that CEI, through its educational programs they run in partnership with special interests groups and local schools, is trying to encourage people to know more about the “incredible species that are right around us.”
Recently, the Institute worked with a school in Bragg Creek to build bird feeders that have been placed in the woods surrounding the school grounds. Morrison said the school told her that since the bird feeders have been put in place, birds have now flocked to the feeders, which has helped the school kids get introduced to the natural environment, according to Morrison.
“[This was done] so kids can develop an appreciation [for the world around them] and go to those places that can make us all feel much better,” Morrison said.
Teaching people about the world around them is just one of the many things CEI does. One part ecological research institute, one part wildlife rehab centre, one part dog and cat kennel, CEI’s president and co-founder Clio Smeeten said the Institute works to enhance all indigenous populations, not just humans, but all wildlife.
The educational programs that CEI runs, like the Migratory Bird Day Zoom session, teaches people–especially kids–that they can do something about animal species suffering from things like potential extinction.
“People are always banging on about children's mental health, and there's nothing better for anyone, child, adult, or old person, than to think they’re achieving something, they’re doing something,” Smeeten said. “And that, for everyone’s mental health, is a really important thing.”
CEI’s educational programs can be found at their website. Anyone interested in attending the Migratory Bird Day Zoom can RSVP to [email protected].
