News Release

Make it Count at Fort Scott NHS This Weekend

Image of a Red-Headed Woodpecker on the side of a tree.

Manny Salas/Macaulay Library

News Release Date: February 14, 2023

Contact: Carl Brenner, 620-223-0310

Fort Scott National Historic Site will host free guided bird walks hourly from 9 am through 3 pm, Friday, February 17, through Sunday, February 19, for the 26th annual Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC).

A National Park Service Ranger will lead easy birdwatching walks starting from the Visitor Center. Some of the “walks” will be completely durable surfaces and accessible. Rangers and participants will record all bird sightings and upload the data to the Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC). This walk is for birders of all skill levels and you don’t have to stay for the entire program to make a difference. Birders are encouraged to bring binoculars and layered clothing.

Since 1998, “The Backyard Bird Count has been an opportunity for every citizen to contribute to the understanding of wild birds, and their threats,” said Jill Jaworski, Superintendent, Fort Scott National Historic Site. “We encourage everyone to join us for this and future bird walks and programs.” Watch for scheduled bird walks in the park throughout the year on Facebook or at the Fort Scott NHS website www.nps.gov/fosc.

For more information about the Great Backyard Bird Count, contact Ranger Bristol at Fort Scott National Historic Site by calling 620-223-0310. 

Each checklist submitted during the GBBC helps researchers at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society learn more about how birds are doing, and how to protect them and the environment we share. An estimated 385,000 people participated during the 2022 GBBC. They reported more than 7,000 species from 192 countries. The results of these bird counts are available at www.birdcount.org/2022-final-results.