By Susan Sampson, Wenatchee.
The What’s That Bird? program recently completed another spring season. On April 23 we hid eleven replica birds in the trees at Chief Joseph Dam Park. Ninety-nine schoolchildren from the Bridgeport area hunted for the birds, identified them from our customized field guides, and checked them off their beginning life lists. Our team encountered one setback when it was time to hide the replica birds in the trees. The park staff had trimmed all the lower branches off the trees to make it impossible for someone to climb them. Our stepladder was no longer tall enough for us to hide the birds, so park personnel took over with a taller ladder.
What’s That Bird? also participated in the Earth Day activities at Wenatchee Valley College on April 18. This time the birds and the field guides for identifying them were displayed on one table, and stuffed toy birds that make realistic bird sounds when squeezed were on a second table. Over 80 people visited our tables, and the toy birds were immensely popular with visitors of all ages. Our biggest problem was having the youngest understand they could play with the toy birds but couldn’t keep them.
We presented our entire bird hunt, identification, and list program at Confluence Park on May 7 and May 14 but were rained out on May 13, so we set up our display indoors at the Wenatchee Valley Museum and Cultural Center. We worked with just over 80 students at each of those events. Finally, we ended the spring season on May 16 with 201 visitors to our table display at the Leavenworth Spring Bird Fest.
Look for What’s That Bird? next at the Wenatchee River Salmon Festival in September—if we make it. Seriously, the regular presenters are getting old. We need a volunteer with a pickup truck and canopy, some muscle to haul around and set up our tent, and others to help guide visitors through the bird hunt and around the display tables.
This season’s team included our leader Mark Oswood, Art Campbell, Karen Haire, Bruce McCammon, Dianne McCammon, Caitilin Newman, Merry Roy, Sue Sampson, and Ken Smith.