- Idaho Fish and Game, 99 Highway 93 North, Salmon, 208-756-2271.
- Salmon Valley Stewardship, 513 Main Street, Salmon, 208-756-1686.
- Public Lands Center, 1206 S. Challis Street, Salmon, 208-756-5400, and all Salmon-Challis National Forest Ranger Districts in Challis, Mackay, Leadore and North Fork.
- Stanley Community Library, Ace of Diamonds Street, Stanley, 208-774-2470.
Salmon River Spring Wings Bird-a-thon Set for May 21
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By Beth Waterbury, Idaho Department of Fish and Game
Get your binoculars and bird guides ready for the first Salmon River "Spring Wings" Bird-a-thon set for Saturday, May 21, in the Salmon Region.
A Bird-a-thon is a friendly, competitive fundraiser similar to a walk-a-thon, but instead of counting miles, participants count as many bird species as possible in a 24-hour period. Each team invites friends, family, colleagues and businesses to pledge an amount, from dimes to dollars, for each bird species recorded. Sponsors can also pledge a fixed amount. Proceeds will be used to purchase subscriptions of Wildlife Express, a monthly newspaper about Idaho's fish, wildlife and habitats, for all fourth-grade classrooms in Lemhi and Custer counties for the 2011-2012 school year.
The Bird-a-thon promises to keep the "fun" in this fundraising event. Twitter fans can "tweet" and Facebook followers can post their real-time birding progress to sponsors through the handle "salmonbirdathon." Prizes for best team name, most species seen, most money raised, most unusual bird seen, and best bird photo (amateur and professional categories) will spur friendly competition and reward hard-working participants.
Sponsors can also have fun by devising some wild and challenging pledges, such as offering $5 for each bird observed before 6 a.m., $10 for finding all six species of swallows, or $1 a bird for non-motorized Bird-a-thon teams. Typical pledges range from 5 to 50 cents per bird species. There are about 220 bird species in the Upper Salmon Basin during peak spring migration. Finding even 100 of these species in a 24-hour period will be extremely challenging.
Idaho Fish and Game biologist Beth Waterbury sees the Bird-a-thon as a great excuse to enjoy a day of spring birding.
"It's also a perfect opportunity to introduce beginners to the joy of bird watching and engage people in collecting valuable data on the bird species moving through east-central Idaho during peak spring migration," Waterbury said.
Gina Knudson of Salmon Valley Stewardship and Bird-a-thon cosponsor agrees.
"This is a fun way of getting to know more about our local non-human neighbors and visitors. I think most of us are going to be surprised at how many bird species share this beautiful area with us," Knudson said.
The Bird-a-thon is open to birders of all experience levels, from beginner to expert. All birds must be counted within the 24-hour time interval on May 21, and birds must be observed within Lemhi and Custer counties.
For Bird-a-thon rules, pledge forms, and further information, call or stop by the following "Spring Wings" Bird-a-thon sponsor offices: