Dear WESCers:

Our December program is fast upon us! We are joining the Audubon bird count, a conservation tradition which spans more than a century.

Tedor Whitman, Director of Education at Teatown Lake Reservation will be our guide for the count, taking us around the wooded 800 acre preservation in Ossining. We join not only a venerable conservation tradition but also contribute to a serious scientific endeavor which is more important than ever this year. (See press release below for more details). He has requested that we arrive at 6:30 AM sharp! (I had initially inderstood from another source that we could participate any time of the day we wished but that is only partly true. Whitman has assured me that we will see more if we start early.)

The program begins with a short talk from Whitman about the count, followed by hiking and looking for birds.

Directions: see www.teatown.org

Wear*: warm layers, waterproof outerwear, wool socks and hiking boots
Bring: waterbottle*, snack*, binoculars, notepad, pencil, camera, thermos with hot drink, pocket field guide

* PLEASE have these. Other items are optional.

WE DO NOT have to stay for the entire day, though Whitman will survey into the afternoon and routinely covers 8-10 miles in the process. If you would like to attend a dinner at Teatown later in the day, where the results are compiled, please let me know. We need to reserve for the dinner by this upcoming Monday, December 13.

PLEASE REGISTER with me if you intend to come to the count and/or dinner, AND FOR HOW MUCH TIME YOU CAN PARTICIPATE IN THE COUNT, as places are limited, so we can make additional arrangements if our group rises beyond the limit. I will post signs along the way from Rte 134 into the preserve to help steer you right.

Sincerely,

Heather Baker-Sullivan