Volunteers sought for annual Nicolet National Forest Bird Survey

University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Prof. Robert Howe, the director of the Cofrin Center for Biodiversity on campus, is seeking volunteer birdwatchers for the 25th annual Nicolet National Forest Bird Survey.

A cooperative effort of scientists, U.S. Forest Service biologists and volunteer birdwatchers in northern Wisconsin, this year’s event will be held June 10-12 at the LeFeber Northwoods Camp on Hardwood Lake, approximately nine miles northwest of Wabeno. From there, birdwatchers will travel to more than 150 survey sites located in the southern half of the Nicolet portion of the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest.

Camping facilities and cabins are available at the LeFeber Camp headquarters, and meals on Saturday, June 11 will be provided for participants and families. Several motels are located within a 30-minute drive, and field teams can arrange to meet participants who choose to stay in motels.

Survey volunteers work in small groups led by an expert in bird song identification. Computerized survey results help guide forest management policies and have been used as the basis for scientific research. They also help identify “hot spots” for bird species in northern Wisconsin.

Interested parties can learn more about the survey and download registration forms at the NNF Bird Survey website, www.uwgb.edu/birds/nnf/. Participants also can contact Howe at hower@uwgb.edu for information or to sign up. Volunteers are asked to indicate whether they intend to stay in a cabin during the survey.

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