A Christmas Bird Count will be held at Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge on Saturday, December 13th, 2008 starting at 7:30 a.m. The public is invited to participate. Participants will divide into teams of two or three and each team will cover a portion of the census area. The total area to be surveyed is a circle fifteen miles in diameter that has the refuge headquarters at its center. The area includes all of Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge, most of Sand Dunes State Forest, and portions of Sherburne, Benton and Mille Lacs Counties.
Christmas Bird Counts are done by many birding groups throughout the nation. Participants spend an entire day from sunrise to sunset, or a half day, looking for birds. Reports from all participating groups are tallied by National Audubon and other birding organizations such as the Minnesota Ornithological Union. The final tally provides information on the number of bird species inhabiting each corner of the country during that window of time.
The Christmas Bird Count at the Refuge is sponsored by the Friends of Sherburne. To register call Jim Pasch at (763) 662-2179.