Fern Hollow Nature Center Prepares for First Christmas Bird Count
Volunteers for the National Audubon Society have been conducting the seasonal counts since 1900.
This time of year is for the birds, as far as the National Audubon Society is concerned. The society has undertaken annual Christmas bird counts since 1900, collecting data to assess the health of bird populations and to help guide conservation action. This year's bird count is the 113th to be conducted, but it’s the first for volunteers organized by the Fern Hollow Nature Center in Sewickley Heights. They’ll gather early Saturday to keep their eyes on the sky. “We were approached last year by a gentleman who that has run, organized and participated in the Christmas bird count for the last 35 years,” explained Stacey Widenhofer, environmental educator at the nature center. John Orndorff had served as the leader, or count compiler, for the …
