How do you look for one of the smallest birds in the world? How do you catch up with a bird whose wings flap so quickly it creates a humming sound we can hear?
Naturalist Leslie Helliwell knows how-and will teach a group of curious individuals on February 4 as they take to the trails of the ENC on a search for hummingbirds and their nests. Participants can watch as the tiny colorful birds zip through the air, diving, hovering, and even flying backwards and side to side! Helliwell will share fun facts, such as how hummingbirds feed and use their energy, how they mate through displays of color and how important they are to pollinating a variety of local plants.
Participants in our hummingbird walks, especially those who came to our recent Citizen Science event led by naturalist Fiorella Gardella, might find that their new knowledge can be very useful indeed.
The Cornell Lab of Ornithology is now accepting data from citizen scientists in an effort to study how hummingbirds interact in urban environments. UCI students from our citizen science event are just some local residents who are contributing data. If you want to join their ranks, or simply be a scientist for a day, our hummingbird walk is a perfect place to start.
There are only 20 places available for each walk; sign up early at encenter.org to make sure you get a spot! We will not be able to let in walk-ins. The 10 a.m. walk is reserved for adults only but little ones and their families are more than welcome at the 12 p.m. walk.
Adults 10 am – 11am – register HERE!
Families 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm – register HERE!
By Lola Olvera, ENC Communications Intern