Tok School's 4th grade class participate in the Christmas Bird Count.

It was a cold, dark, and snowy day, but the birders were out in force!  This year marked Tetlin Refuge's 20th year of participating in the annual Christmas Bird Count (CBC) in Tok, Alaska, headquarters of Tetlin Refuge.  Tetlin is one of only two Alaska refuges accessible by road (Kenai the other) and the first refuge encountered by visitors driving the Alaska Highway from Canada.  On December 14, 25 residents of the Tok area, including several Refuge staff, endured 2 degree temperatures and just 3 hours of daylight to cover over 100 miles by foot, vehicle, and snowmachine and count everything with wings from Ravens to Juncos to the rare Northern Goshawk.  The CBC also provided an opportunity for Tetlin Environmental Education Specialist Mary Timm to lead the Tok 4^th grade class on a birding adventure.  

Some 35 Alaska communities participate in Christmas Bird Counts from cities like Anchorage and Fairbanks to towns like Kodiak, Barrow and Tok.  The CBC was initiated by the National Audubon Society in 1900 and continues to provide an exceptional opportunity for “citizen science” as birders of all abilities come together to learn from one another as they share information on the status and population trends of selected bird species across the nation.