>> EVERY YEAR, MASS AUDUBON HOSTS WHAT IS KNOWN AS A
“BIRD-A-THON WEEKEND,” WHERE EACH OF ITS SANCTUARIES ACROSS
THE STATE PUTS TOGETHER A TEAM OF BIRDERS WHO COMPETE TO
FIND THE MOST SPECIES OF BIRDS IN A 24-HOUR PERIOD.
WITH MASS AUDUBON'S TRAILS CLOSED STATEWIDE TO THE PUBLIC
FOR THE PAST SEVERAL WEEKS, THIS FUNDRAISER COULDN'T HAVE COME
ANY SOONER.
BUT, THIS YEAR'S EVENT HAD A COUPLE OF TWISTS TO IT, AND
CONNECTING POINT'S BRIAN SULLIVAN TAGGED ALONG WITH A
COUPLE OF THE COMPETITORS TO BRING US THE STORY.
>> THESE TEAM OF YEAR AGAIN WHEN FOLKS TAKE TO THE WOODS WITH
BINOCULARS AND CAMERAS WITH THE HOPES OF CATCHING A FEW GLIMPSES
OF THE FIRST DESCENDANTS OF THE FIRST REPTILES.
NOT TURTLES.
WE'RE SPEAKING ABOUT OUR FLYING FEATHERS FRIENDS WHO CAN BE
TRACED BACK TO DINOSAURS.
FOR THEM, IT IS LIKE PLAYING MARKET
MARCO POLO IN MY NANA'S POOL.
HE CAN HEAR THEM ALL AROUND.
THIS IS KNOWN AS A BIRD-A-THON
AND EACH YEAR MASS AUDUBON HOSTS THIS IN A STATEWIDE COMPETITION.
THE PARAMETERS FOR THIS YEAR'S CONTEST IS DIFFERENT.
>> THIS YEAR IT IS MORE OF A CHALLENGE, BECAUSE WITH COVID,
WE CAN'T GET THOSE TEAMS TOGETHER SO EVERYONE IS ON THEIR
OBSERVE THIS YEAR.
MOST PEOPLE ARE BIRDING IN THEIR BACKYARD AND THIS YEAR, IT IS
ALL CARBON FREE.
NO CARS, WE CAN'T DRIVE ANYWHERE SO I'M RIDING MY BIKE AROUND
TODAY AND TRYING TO FIND AS MANY BIRDS HAS WE CAN.
>> MY PERSONAL BIRD KNOWLEDGE MAY BE LIMITED TO THE FACT THAT
THE MALE CARDINAL LOOKS DIFFERENT THAN THE FEMALE.
BUT WHAT I DO KNOW, I LEARNED LOOKING OUT OF MY BACK WINDOW OF
MY YARD GROWING UP.
IT GIVES THE YOUNGER KIDS THE CHANCE TO LEARN WHAT SPECIES OF
BIRDS ARE THERE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
BY ADDING PRINTABLE COLORING PAGES, MASS AUDUBON WAS HOPING
TO EXTEND THAT THREAT OF BIRD AND NATURE LOVERS.
>> MOST BIRDERS TEND TO BE, SHALL I SAY, OLDER FOLKS SUCH AS
MYSELF AND WE'RE ALWAYS TRYING TO INCLUDE THE YOUNGER
GENERATIONS.
AND HOPEFULLY, THIS WILL HELP CANNOT TO THAT, GET THEM STARTED
AT AN EARLY ABLE TO KNOW AT LEAST BACKYARD BIRDS.
>> BUT WITH OVER 100 PEOPLE ON THE MASS AUDUBON ARCADIA TEAM,
NOT EVERYONE WAS RELEGATED TO THE BACKYARDS.
FOR THOSE WHO DID EXPLORE BEYOND THE CONFINES OF NEIGHBORHOODS,
IT WAS A DIFFERENT EXPERIENCE THIS YEAR AND NOT IN A BAD WAY.
>> IT IS KIND OF NICE WITHOUT THE CAR.
ON A TYPICAL YEAR, TRY TO HIT LIKE 10 DIFFERENT SPOTS.
THIS YEAR, YOU'RE LIMITED BECAUSE YOU CAN ONLY BIKE SO FAR
SO I'VE ONLY HIT TWO SPOTS THIS YEAR, WHERE IN THE PAST YEARS
I'VE HIT MULTIPLES SO SPENDING MORE TEAM AND MORE TIME WITH
EACH BIRD AND SEEING NEW THINGS I DIDN'T KNOW WHY THERE, REALLY.
>> WITH THESE GROUNDS CLOSED, BIRDERS WERE UNABLE TO USE ONE
OF THE BEST PLACES AROUND FOR OBSERVATION.
>> EVEN WITHOUT BINOCULARS THE VANTAGE POINT IS SPECTACULAR,
BUT SEVERAL WEEKS AGO, MASS AUDUBON CLOSED THIS TRAIL TO THE
PUBLIC, AND THAT INCLUDES ARCADIA.
NOT ONLY HAVE PEOPLE NOT BEEN ABLE TO ENJOY THE ACTUALLIES BUT
ARCADIA HAS HAD TO CANCEL MANY PROGRAMS AND THAT MAKES THIS
YEAR'S BIRD-A-THON FUNDRAISER SO IMPORTANT FOR THEM.
>> FURNITURING ASIDE, IT IS STILL A COMPETITION, ONE THAT
BROUGHT FAMILIES TOGETHER EITHER IN THEIR BACKYARDS OR PHASES IN
NATURE THAT WERE CLOSER THAN THEY MAY HAVE THOUGHT.
>> A BIG DRIVER BEHIND THIS, IT'S FUNDRAISER FOR MASS
AUDUBON.
THEY REALLY NEED IT THIS YEAR AND THEY'VE BEEN HAVING TO
CANCEL PROGRAMS BECAUSE OF COVID, A LOT OF THEIR STUFF IS
FACE-TO-FACE SO THAT'S THE BIG DRAW.
BUT EACH OF THE SANCTUARIES IN THE STATE, THEY ARE ALL
COMPETING IN THIS TO SEE THE MOST BIRDS, GET THE MOST POINTS,
IT IS NOT CUTTHROAT.
WE DID WIN THE LAST TWO-YEARS BUT NOT TO GLOAT.