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KIRKSVILLE, Mo. - The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) will offer an introduction to the popular sport of birding with a free birding workshop in Kirksville April 26-27.
The classroom session from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. on Friday, April 26, will provide an opportunity to learn how to adjust and use binoculars, basic bird identification by field markings, and a focus on calls of common birds in the area, as well as an activity to practice locating and identifying birds. The classroom session on Friday will take place at the MDC Northeast Regional Office, 3500 S. Baltimore St. in Kirksville.
Saturday, April 27, from 7 - 10 a.m., participants will take a field trip to Big Creek Conservation Area southwest of Kirksville. The field trip will include a hike along the ridge through a grassland and then into an oak-hickory forest to practice skills learned the evening prior. Skilled volunteers will assist in locating and identifying birds in the field.
MDC will provide a limited supply of binoculars for use during the workshop, but participants are encouraged to bring their own binoculars, if they have them. Participants should dress accordingly for weather conditions, and should also bring water, a snack, and a bird identification book if they wish.
“Birding is a fun family activity which doesn’t require a lot of equipment,” said MDC Conservation Education Consultant Karen Armstrong. “It’s a great opportunity to get outside and enjoy nature as spring returns to Missouri.”
Space is limited for this unique opportunity and participants must preregister by Thursday, April 25, by visiting mdc-event-web.s3licensing.com/Event/EventDetails/167074.
