Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association Bird-Where-You-Are-A-Thon

Kelly Bernatzky • April 14, 2021

From 5PM on Friday, May 21 through 5PM on Saturday, May 22, the Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association (MMA) invites birders of all ages, experienced and novice, near and far, to participate in its Bird-Where-You-Are-A-Thon. For over two decades, the MMA’s annual Bird-A-Thon has helped collect important information on the biodiversity of our feathered friends on Nantucket. This year, the MMA is reimagining and expanding the effort to include birders all over the world as a Bird-Where-You-Are-A-Thon. MMA Members and Non-Members and Nantucket residents and non-residents can participate by birding, donating, or both!


The goal of the Bird-Where-You-Are-A-Thon is to encourage participants to notice birds in their daily lives. Adhering to social distancing and local COVID-19 protocols, the MMA invites participants to observe from their home, whether that be at a backyard feeder or a favorite local birding spot! The MMA hopes the accessibility of this event will enable more people on Nantucket and our friends and supporters elsewhere to participate. If you are new to birding or planning to participate with children, the MMA has put together a local Nantucket “10 Birds for Everyone To Learn” guide available on its website. To register as a birder for the event, please sign up at mariamitchell.org/bird-where-you-are-a-thon by Thursday, May 20 at 5PM.  


Participating birders should identify the species of birds they see in this 24-hour period and keep track using a list. For local Nantucket birders, the MMA has a downloadable bird checklist available on its website. For non-local participants, the MMA suggests looking for a local list or using e-Bird to record their data. Please submit your list to the MMA by Sunday, May 23 at 5PM to ensure your data is included in our results. If using e-Bird, please share your list to the MMA's e-Bird account at "MariaMitchellAssociation." If not using e-Bird, please email your list to Julia Blyth at jblyth@mariamitchell.org. Following the event, the MMA will host a live Zoom session on Tuesday, May 25 at 7PM to share the results and official count of species seen. Register for this event with the link below:

https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJwqfumorzMiHNV2xlwSxHSxEKMaidt25Kio  


All donations to the Bird-Where-You-Are-A-Thon support the MMA’s conservation of its renowned Edith F. Andrews Ornithological Collection, biodiversity library, and activities related to the MMA’s work on bird conservation. As always, the event serves as a reminder of the variety and abundance of wildlife that surrounds us and our responsibility to preserve the habitats of our beautiful and varied bird species.


To participate, donate, and learn more about Bird-Where-You-Are-A-Thon, please visit mariamitchell.org/bird-at-home-a-thon.


This series is organized by the Maria Mitchell Association, a private non-profit organization. Founded in 1902, the MMA works to preserve the legacy of Nantucket native astronomer, naturalist, librarian, and educator, Maria Mitchell. The Maria Mitchell Association operates two observatories, a natural science museum, an aquarium, a research center, and preserves the historic birthplace of Maria Mitchell. A wide variety of science and history-related programming is offered throughout the year for people of all ages.

For Immediate Release

April 14, 2021

Contact: Kelly Bernatzky, MMA Development Associate

kbernatzky@mariamitchell.org

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