Are you interested in birdwatching but don’t know where to start? Starting this summer the Keene Valley Public Library and Saranac Lake Free Library are loaning backpacks stocked with binoculars and field guides.
The Adirondack Land Trust created the Adirondack Birding for All program to increase awareness and appreciation of Adirondack birds and their habitats.
“Birds are such an important aspect of our natural history,” said Derek Rogers, stewardship manager at the Adirondack Land Trust, who helped launch the program. “I’ve been a dedicated birder for 20 years and a sentiment I hear regularly is, ‘I would love to try birding, but I don’t have a pair of binoculars.’ It’s exciting to break down that barrier so everyone can experience the joy of birding.”
The backpacks include high-quality Vortex HD binoculars, the Sibley Guide to Birds of Eastern North America (Penguin Random House 2016), Adirondack Birding — 60 Great Places to Find Birds in the Adirondacks (Adirondack Mountain Club 2009), and helpful information on how to use binoculars.
Funded by a grant from Northern New York Audubon’s Joseph & Joan Cullman Conservation Foundation Program, Birding for All offers a way for more people to connect with birds.