MOANA NURSERY NEWS RELEASE
Beginning this month, thousands of people across the country, including some from the Truckee Meadows area, will be participating in the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Project FeederWatch, a winter survey of the birds that visit backyard feeders in the United States and Canada.
The collected Project FeederWatch information helps ornithologists track changes in the abundance and distribution of bird species that use feeders in the winter.
“We are excited to help FeederWatchers get started,” stated Jacque Lowery, manager of Moana Nursery’s Wild Birds Unlimited Nature Shops in Reno/Sparks. “Wild Birds Unlimited customers play a significant role in this study each year.”
To be a FeederWatcher, participants must watch birds for Project FeederWatch once every two weeks from November thru April 5, 2013, and count the kinds and number of birds at their feeders and record the information on data forms. This information must then be submitted online or mailed back for analysis in the spring.
For the $15 enrollment fee, new participants receive a bird identification poster, bird feeding information and instructional material. All participants, new and renewing, receive a calendar and tally sheet. You can also explore maps and charts online to see what others are reporting during the count.
More information about participating in Project FeederWatch is available at www.feederwatch.org.
“This is not only an opportunity to see a variety of birds,” said Lowery, “but it’s also a fun way to take part in a scientific study and a terrific way to involve children in nature.”
Wild Birds Unlimited, located inside all three Moana Nursery locationsin Reno and Sparks (1100 W. Moana Lane, 11301 S. Virginia St. and 7655 Pyramid Hwy.), is part of the original and largest franchise system of backyard bird feeding and nature specialty stores with more than 275 locations throughout the United States and Canada.
Wild Birds Unlimited specializes in bringing people and nature together with bird feeding and nature products, expert advice and educational events. Visit www.reno.wbu.com for more information.
