During each spring  from 1996 through 1998, staff from the Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's migratory bird program have gathered data about how birds use the Connecticut River and its watershed during their migration.  In addition, other organizations contributed to data collection including Smith College, Manomet Observatory, the Connecticut Chapter of The Nature Conservancy, the Massachusetts Audubon Society, the Audubon Society of New Hampshire, and the Vermont Institute of Natural Science. The Service, along with the other organizations, recruited 100 skilled and very dedicated birders to assist with the valuable data collection.