Wachiska Audubon is cosponsoring a family event on Saturday, February 18, to coincide with the annual Great Backyard Bird Count. Running concurrently at Gere and Eiseley Libraries in Lincoln will be an enCOUNTer where kids and their families will come together, take part in many bird-related activities at different stations, and end up going outside to count birds at feeders already set up at the sites. You can read more about this in the upcoming February issue of The Babbling Brook to be in mailboxes about February 1.

Cosponsors of this big event, along with Wachiska, will be the Lincoln City Libraries, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, and the Wild Bird Habitat Stores. Representatives from all four groups have been meeting for a couple of months to plan and coordinate this first-ever event in Lincoln. That’s where your help is needed.

One of the activity stations will offer kids the opportunity to “make binoculars” and another station will have them making birdfeeders. Before that can happen, we need to find 600 empty toilet paper tubes and 400 pine cones. Yarn and string will also be needed for the crafts which will be available for the kids to make.

So please begin collecting the above today. You can bring these items to Wachiska’s next general meeting on February 9 or to the Wachiska office and leave them in a sack outside our door on second floor if no one is here. Chuck Francis has offered to be the point person, so call Chuck at 402-483-6727 if you have questions or suggestions on how we can fulfill this need.

NOW—volunteers are also needed to help with these stations at the two libraries on the February Saturday. No experience is needed other than your willingness to help kids learn to appreciate what we all have grown to feel is important in our lives—an appreciation of nature, especially birds. Call Chuck or Barb at their home number above to let them know that you will be able to pitch in for a couple of hours. About 20 people are still needed, so sign up your friends, too.

Now make the rounds at home and the office and scare up some toilet paper rolls!! It’s for the birds.

Thanks for your help!!

Arlys Reitan
Wachiska Audubon Society
4547 Calvert St Ste 10
Lincoln NE 68506-5643
(402) 486-4846
wachiskaoffice@inebraska.com
www.wachiskaaudubon.org