Want an opportunity to get your family outdoors over your winter break? Would you like to contribute to science? Join their Christmas Bird Count for Kids event at Schramm Education Center! Learn more about the birds that call Schramm home during the winter while participating in the longest running community science project in the country. During the event, participants can choose to help count birds on a hike in the prairie or on a hike down to the Platte River. During the count, we will be recording the number and type of birds we see. After we count, we will join back up in the Schramm Classroom to tally our results and make bird crafts. We will be going out rain, snow or sunshine, so dress prepared for the weather! We’ll provide a limited number of binoculars, so you’re encouraged to bring your own if you have them. If you choose to hike, we will walk about a mile. The trails may be muddy or slick depending on weather conditions.

Christmas Bird Count for Kids Schedule
10:00-10:20: Christmas Bird Count Welcome, Birding Basics, and Introduction to Schramm Winter Birds in the Schramm Classroom
10:20-11:30: Outdoor Bird Hikes
11:30-12:00: Tally Results and Make Bird Crafts in the Schramm Classroom

This is the 126th year for the Audubon Christmas Bird Count. Each year, thousands of volunteers help conduct an early-winter bird census in over 20 countries in the Western Hemisphere between the dates of December 14th and January 5th. Reports from each of these counts are sent to the Audubon Society, which compiles the data to help inform researchers about the status of bird populations. When the Christmas Bird Count was first started in the year 1900, it was held annually on Christmas Day to promote conservation, hence the name.

The cost to participate is $5 per person (ages 3 and under free). The cost includes the program and admission to the Education Center after the program. Schramm Family Pass Members participate free. A state park vehicle permit is not required in the Schramm Education Center parking lot.