In April 2019 Grassy Waters Conservancy received a grant from Ibis Charities Foundation for an eBird Trail Tracker which has been installed at the Grassy Waters Preserve Nature Center on Northlake Blvd. Installation of Cornell University’s eBird Trail Tracker hardware and software will allow Grassy Waters to become part of an international birding network.
The eBird Trail Tracker is an interactive bird mapping tool that empowers people of all ages to learn about birds and engage in scientific discovery. Like the “canary in the coal mine” monitoring bird populations provides a window into the health of the planet. With the eBird Trail Tracker visitors to the Preserve Nature Center can view photos, play audio and video files, and learn about the birds that inhabit Grassy waters. After touring the Preserve visitors can input their bird sightings into the eBird Trail Tracker, which submits the information directly to Cornell’s ornithology department where the data are collected, archived, and shared with scientists worldwide. A visitor can also download the eBird app to their smartphone and input data that way as well.
Grassy Waters Preserve has now become part of the world’s largest biodiversity-related Citizen Science Project. One 7th grader put it best when she said: “Scientists can’t be everywhere, so kids from all over can record data and send it in.” For more information please visit the Nature Center and ask the staff to show you this great addition to the facility.