The public is invited to the Middlesex County Public Library (MCPL) system’s Deltaville branch for a presentation, “Birdwatching, Citizen Science, and You,” by Master Naturalist Jeff Wright on Saturday, Jan. 31, at 10:30 a.m. Wright will discuss the many different birds in the area, as well as ways to create a welcoming environment for them. The presentation will be followed by a bird count outside if weather permits. Light refreshments will be served.
An annual favorite among MCPL’s programs, the presentation explores how to identify a number of common — and some less common — bird species that can be seen on the Middle Peninsula, as well as some of the newest and best at-home projects people can undertake to support birds, food chains, and habitat. It will also discuss birding tools and applied technologies that are important to Citizen Science.
Citizen Science is roughly defined as when ordinary members of the public voluntarily assist scientific research with their own projects. With bird populations in decline across the United States — some dropping as much as 50 percent, the Audubon Society reports — and the importance of birds to gauging the health of the environment, birding and citizen science are vital ingredients to preserving and regenerating nature.
One project which the talk will review is the annual Great Backyard Bird Count, conducted on Feb. 13-16 this year. The count is a global project aimed at tallying bird populations, relying on ordinary citizens to observe and report their numbers over the period of a few days. In 2025 almost a million people in more than 200 countries and subregions provided observations, reporting on 8,000 species across the globe, including almost 700 varieties identified in the United States. More information can be learned at www.birdcount.org.
Jeff Wright is well equipped to discuss topics relating to wildlife: a certified Master Naturalist, he has logged more than 5,000 hours of volunteer time with the Northern Neck chapter. In addition, he’s served terms as president of both the Friends of Dragon Run and the Old Growth Forest Society.
“Birdwatching, Citizen Science, and You” happens at MCPL’s Deltaville branch at 35 Lovers Lane, Saturday, Jan. 31, from 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
For information on this and other library events, visit www.yourmiddlesexlibrary.org or email yourmiddlesexlibrary@gmail.com.
