Community Science Counts! – serie

The National Audubon Society's annual Christmas Bird Count stars in this charming picture book, just right for young community scientists, bird watchers, and nature aficionados.A young girl and her mother participate as community scientists in the Christmas Bird Count. The girl is excited when Big Al, the leader of their team, asks her to record the tally this year. Using her most important tools―her eyes and ears―she eagerly identifies and counts the birds they observe on their assigned route around town. She and her team follow the rules, noting the time of day, the habitat, the birding ID techniques used for each sighting. Finally, they meet up with the other teams in the area to combine their totals for a Christmas Bird Count party and share stories about their observations. Sidebars tally up the birds they observe and record. This book introduces young readers to birdwatching with simple explanations of birdwatching techniques and clear descriptions of bird habitats. Stephanie Fizer Coleman's charming illustrations add color and context to a joyful story that's sure to inspire the nature lover in everyone. Back matter includes more information about all the birds featured in the book and about the Christmas Bird Count, the nation's longest-running community science bird project. Capitol Choices Noteworthy Books for Children and TeensParents’ Choice Silver Honor Award Mathical Honor Award International  Literacy Association Primary Fiction Award

The National Audubon Society's annual Christmas Bird Count stars in this charming picture book, just right for young community scientists, bird watchers, and nature aficionados.A young girl and her mother participate as community scientists in the Christmas Bird Count. The girl is excited when Big Al, the leader of their team, asks her to record the tally this year. Using her most important tools―her eyes and ears―she eagerly identifies and counts the birds they observe on their assigned route around town. She and her team follow the rules, noting the time of day, the habitat, the birding ID techniques used for each sighting. Finally, they meet up with the other teams in the area to combine their totals for a Christmas Bird Count party and share stories about their observations. Sidebars tally up the birds they observe and record. This book introduces young readers to birdwatching with simple explanations of birdwatching techniques and clear descriptions of bird habitats. Stephanie Fizer Coleman's charming illustrations add color and context to a joyful story that's sure to inspire the nature lover in everyone. Back matter includes more information about all the birds featured in the book and about the Christmas Bird Count, the nation's longest-running community science bird project. Capitol Choices Noteworthy Books for Children and TeensParents’ Choice Silver Honor Award Mathical Honor Award International  Literacy Association Primary Fiction Award

A young boy and his cousin compete to identify the most different species on a biodiversity count day at a local parkYou might be amazed at the large number of insects, birds, and small mammals that inhabit even a very small plot of land. In this story Gabriel's dad, a ranger for the local municipal park, is helping with a Biodiversity Day (or Bioblitz), and he invites Gabriel and his cousin Ava to participate. With Gabriel's expertise in bugs and Ava's eye for birds, the two cousins are eager to start the hunt in the park. They are placed on different teams, competing to see which group finds the most species of animal life in the time allotted.Readers follow the two teams through a variety of habitats, where they spot dozens of  different species over the course of the day. Kids will enjoy finding all the species (some are hidden in the illustration) that appear on the lists compiled in each habitat. Several different techniques for viewing species—rolling logs to discover critters living underneath and shining lights on white sheets at night to attract moths, for example—are highlighted.Plot action in this community science adventure revolves around the competition between the cousins, who check in with each other at intervals to compare lists. In the end, Ava's team spots one more species than Gabriel's, but Gabriel earns a special award for discovering a species of special concern in their area, a blue-spotted salamander. Because of all they have learned from the Bioblitz, the cousins realize that the real winner is the park and all its visitors. After reading Bioblitz!, students—as well as their parents and teachers—will be eager to participate in a biodiversity day in their own community!