34 NEBRASKAland • AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2015
A
s the big Blue Bird bus rolls
down the highway, most of
the children aboard haven't
given much thought to what
species of birds are flying
outside its windows. It will be a differ-
ent story for the children as they return
to the school later that day.
The children, who are participating
in one of the Panhandle's most popular
field trips, are about to be immersed
in avian life at one of the Rocky
Mountain Bird Observatory's two
banding stations. For the past eight
years, the Colorado-based conservation
organization has partnered with the
Nebraska Game and Parks Commission
to offer banding stations in the conifers
of the Wildcat Hills State Recreation
Area near Gering and Chadron State
Park near Chadron.
The banders use mist nets to catch
the birds, collect data and band them
for future identification and migration
tracking.
The banding stations serve not
only as a way to monitor numbers
and species of birds in these special
habitats, but also to educate children
and the general public about birds.
In addition to demonstrating the bird
banding process and educating about
the birds that have been caught, the
stations provide games and activities
that help explain bird life. Some lucky
students even get to handle and release
the banded birds, under the guidance of
the observatory staff.
As the observatory's education
coordinator for Nebraska, Alexandra
Mayes has developed a special
appreciation for the stations' value as
an educational tool.
"Birds are among the only wild
animals that kids are going to see
every day, so this is a great way to get
them interested in nature," said Mayes,
who is responsible for organizing and
leading the school programs. "If the
kids start looking for birds, they're
going to notice a lot of other things in
the outdoors."
In addition to hosting numerous
school groups each fall, the banders
also present public programs at the
parks. They give park-goers and
birdwatchers a unique opportunity to
get a close look at birds they usually
only see through binoculars.
In addition to the educational
component, the stations are obtaining
valuable data.
The pines of western Nebraska
provide a unique opportunity for
birders, and the stations provide a
Banding Together
Garrod holds a spotted towhee in a
"photography grip."
Garrod holds a spotted towhee in a
An annual cooperative project in the
Panhandle is uncovering information
about the region's bird life – for both
researchers and children.
Story and photos by Justin Haag
Holly Garrod of Evergreen, Colorado, a seasonal employee of the Rocky Mountain Bird
Observatory, releases a banded dark-eyed junco at Wildcat Hills State Recreation Area.
