SPEAKER: Hello, everyone. Thanks for volunteering to help with our conservation work in Eskdale Wood next weekend. A big group like this means we can really achieve a lot.
Let's start with the tasks we need to get done. I'm happy to say that since the last cleanup of the wood, the litter hasn't returned. So that's one job we can forget about. But because of the recent storm, there's been damage to some older trees. 1A few big branches have come down and they're blocking the parts. We need volunteers to pull them off and pile them up somewhere else so they're not in the way. While you're working, have a look at the bird boxes we placed in the wood last summer. We're sure that most of them have been used, so that was a job worth doing. 2The storm has also blown down the fences on the north side of the wood. So we'll need you to give a hand with repairs. There'll be someone there to supervise, so you'll get that job done quite quickly.
What do you need to bring with you? 3Gloves are essential. You don't want to end up with cuts and dirt all over your hands. If you don't have a good pair already, I'd suggest popping into town and buying a pair from the garden center. They seem to have a good range. Now the forecast is for cloud, but at least it'll be a dry weekend. You can leave your sunscreen at home. As usual, we'll be handing out any tools you need at the start of the day. Spades, sores, hammers, it'll all be supplied. There are parts of Eskdale Wood which are still muddy after the storm, 4so I'd recommend boots. You'll need to supply your own and I'd put them on in the car park if I were you before you enter the woods. And thanks to some funding from the local residence committee, we've got a bit of money for snacks, so I'll be bringing some sandwiches with me for everyone.
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Right. Some of you have expressed an interest in taking part in this year's Bird Count. The bird count is really useful. It tells us which native birds are doing well or if their numbers are declining. And we can also find out if there are any new species of birds, birds that don't normally inhabit the woods. So if you decide to take part in the Bird Count, there are a few things you need to do.
Nowadays, people don't tend to record what they see on paper. It's all done through a mobile app. To get one of those, 5you'll need to go online and find a website like e-Bird or NestWatch. If you've never signed up with them before, register your details and they'll send the mobile app to your phone. Once you've got that sorted, 6you need to consider exactly where you're going to count the birds. You might decide to spend the day, say, just in a single field, or you might want to cover a wider area. It's up to you. Stay away from privately owned land because you'd need to get authorization for that.
The next thing to do 7is get some other people to come along and help you. A group that are also interested in birds and that are capable of using the technology. Yes, because by yourself, it's easy to miss the birds that might be in the trees behind you. Then on the day of the Bird Count, 8you need to give all your helpers a printout - showing pictures of the birds you're hoping to see. The picture should be clear enough so people can really distinguish between similar looking species. So yes, the document should be in color really. Also remind people that the bird count is not a race to find the most birds possible. It's supposed to be a group effort with everyone staying in the same place. What else? Okay, at the end of the day, once all the counting's been finished, get together with the rest of the group. How many birds of one species has everyone seen? Compare notes. It doesn't really matter if your totals are slightly different. 9Just get everyone to work out and decide more or less what the probable number was. Finally, when you're ready to submit all the data you've collected, have a look at the pictures you've taken. 10Choose the best one. You want a sharp image of a single bird rather than an image of a whole lot of birds in the distance. Upload it with your data and you never know you might get a prize if yours is the best shot. Alright, let's move on to the date
