Terra Park Is for the Birds and Bird Watchers

Anyone who tries to tell you birdwatching is for older people has yet to meet some of the most enthusiastic and young birders in Iowa.

Nadia Grimaldi, 9, of Johnston, didn't need a push to get outside when she attended the field trip to Terra Park.

"It was very fun," Nadia, who just received her Iowa Birders Membership Card, said. "I want to keep doing it."

The Iowa Young Birders, a non-profit organization, is dedicated to encouraging all young people interested in the world of birds, while getting America's youth outside through a series of field trip, the first of which took place at Johnston's Terra Park in July.

Carl Bendorf, executive director of the organization, said birding is one of the most popular outdoor activities.

"In 2001 a national survey suggested 41 million Americans identified as birders, about 1 million in ages of 16 or 17," Bendorf said. "Our view is that birding could be an effective tool to motivate young people to get out from behind the T.V. and computer and interact with Iowa Natural Resources.

Bendorf said the program will initially be a series of Saturday morning field trips around the state. He doesn't expect members to attend every field trip as they can span the length of the state.

The next scheduled field trip on Aug. 11 is in Waterloo.

"So someone who is 13 and living in Johnston will probably not be able to drive to Davenport to go on field trips, but if we have them at various locations in Iowa and try to rotate around we can offer an occasional opportunity for young kids to get out in an organized way."

A benefit of the field trips is the youngsters not only get a firsthand experience with other who enjoy the activity, but they get to be educated on the birds they see.

"I like birds, we saw a Mississippi Kite there, they are not common here in Iowa," Nadia said of her trip to Terra Park in Johnston. "We didn't see an extremely wide variety but a decent amount of birds."

Bendorf said locations for field trips are chosen for public access, parking, accessible trails and somewhere that is beginner and family friendly.

"The kids had a great time," Bendorf said of the inaugural field trip, which included seven birders between the ages of 7 and 11.

Nadia couldn't agree more.

"I definitely want to do it more," she said.

Future Field Trips

• Aug. 3 - 1 to 3 p.m. Presentation of programs about Iowa birds at Science Center of Iowa summer camp.
• Aug. 11 - 9 a.m. to noon at George Wyth State Park in Waterloo
• Sept. 1 - 9 a.m. to noon at Hickory Hill Park in Iowa City
• Sept. 1 - 1 to 4 p.m. a special birder workshop in Iowa City- more details to come.
• Sept. 22 - 9 a.m. to noon at Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge in Jasper County.
• Nov. 10 - 9 a.m. to noon in Southwest Iowa location to be determined.

For more information on field trips visit here.