Black Sh immers in flight provide a showy sight along the shore of one of Audubon's coastal sanctuaries. 



experience in nature for thousands of children 

 and families. 



"The focus is to get immersed in nature 

 — to empower and encourage people to 

 participate in nature," Wood says. "The 

 measure of success? Seeing citizen scientists 

 engaged in monitoring the health of their 

 neighborhoods from bird counting to 

 monitoring waterways. In other words, 

 getting involved with 'real-time' science." 



Watching Wood in action at Burgaw 

 Middle School in Pender County, it's easy to 

 see that he enjoys the face-to-face teaching 

 mode. Wood initiated Science Explorer, an 

 afterschool enrichment program, for the 

 2002-2003 school year. 



'The goal is to increase their awareness 

 of wildlife around them and to demonstrate 

 the importance of the environment in their 

 daily lives," Wood says. 



"Students are really into it," he adds. 

 "This is not your usual organized sport 

 activity. We just poke around in the school 

 yard. Turn over a log, see what scrambles 



out. It's all about making the connection to 

 the outdoors, looking closely and getting 

 excited about what you discover." 



On this particular fall day, the students 

 make a significant find: the rosey wolf snail, 

 an invasive, non-native species that eats other 

 snails. 



The students log every critter they find 

 in the school yard each session and add to the 

 list they are compiling. They will compare 

 the entries as the seasons change, and study 

 the life history and inter-relationship of their 

 discoveries, Wood explains. 



"What's this have to do with birds? We 

 want to show that birds are part of a bigger 

 environment. It's not enough to erect a feeder 

 if there is no habitat for the bird to build a 

 nest. We want to show habitat as a whole, 

 and that birds are a special part of it." 



Audubon's environmental goal is to 

 create a "culture of conservation" for all 

 generations. "It's about connecting people to 

 the natural world and inspiring them to 

 protect it," says Wood. □ 



Getting 

 Involved 



To learn more about educational 

 programs or local and state activities, 

 visit Audubon North Carolina on the 

 Web at www.ncctudubon.org. Or, check 

 programs offered by local or state 

 parks, national refuge sites, or national 

 seashore sites. 



Bird watchers can join national 

 counting events throughout the year: 



• International Migratory Bird 

 Day, May 10, sponsored by the U.S. 

 Fish & Wildlife Service. Individuals and 

 groups can participate. For informa- 

 tion, call 703/358-2318 or go to http:// 

 birds.fws.gov/imbd/. 



• Project Feederwatch, from 

 November through March. Participants 

 record weekly counts of birds visiting 

 their feeders. Participants report results 

 to Cornell University Laboratory of 

 Ornithology. Go to www.ncaudubon.org. 



• The Christmas Bird Count, an 

 Audubon tradition since 1900. Go 

 to www.ncaudubon.org. 



• The Great Backyard Bird Count, 

 Feb. 15 to 18. State checklists are 

 provided, and participants enter their 

 counts online. The annual event is 

 sponsored by the National Audubon 

 Society and Cornell Laboratory of 

 Ornithology. Go to www.ncaudubon.org. 



• Wings Over Water, autumn 

 migration, Outer Banks. Weeklong 

 activities include birding events. Go to 

 www. northeast-nc. com/ wings. 



COASTWATCH 11 



