This weekend you can help bird conservation by participating in the annual Great Backyard Bird Count [1]. The event is cosponsored by the National Audubon Society and Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Its purpose is to provide a complete four-day picture of bird distribution across North America.

To participate:

1. Watch birds in a single location for at least 15 minutes.
2. Record the highest number of each species that you see.
3. Submit the results [2] on the GBBC website.
   

For many DC residents, participating in the GBBC may seem impossible because they live in an apartment or condo and do not have a backyard. However, you can still participate. Organizers of the count encourage birders to count birds and submit sightings from any place where birds congregate. That could be at work, or at a local park, or at a wildlife refuge. When I lived in DC, I submitted sightings from some of my favorite birding spots like the National Arboretum [2] and Constitution Gardens [2].

You can track submissions from DC here [3].