Wake+Audubon+Meeting+Birds+of+Prairie+Ridge+(Meera)

=Wake Audubon Society Meeting: Birds of Prairie Ridge= In the early days of December, I attended the Wake Audubon Society Meeting discussing the birds of Prairie Ridge. The presentation detailed over 12 years of surveys, presented by Brian O'Shea for the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences.

Some noticed that the number of barn owls and bobwhites were diminishing in numbers, along with grosbeaks and other specimens. In order to chart population fluctuations and safeguard historical specimen material, an operation was launched in order to evaluate the population numbers based on habitat management and to document the effects of habitat encroachment.

The Prairie Ridge Ecostation is a piece of land of about 45 acres, founded in 2004. It is the sight for the eco lab. On this land, there are two main parts. There is a managed Piedmont prairie as well as an arboretum. Ponds and creeks make up the edge habitat. The operation consists of going out 2-4 times a week and completing a dawn survey. Researchers go from around 5:30-7:30 in the morning, walking the perimeter of Prairie Ridge, counting the number of birds they see, including flyovers.

Studies and surveys like this relate directly to the AP Environmental Science course. We study the different biomes such as grasslands that are much like Prairie Ridge. We also look at things that affect populations including habitat encroachment and other human influences. It is important to make the connection between the textbook and real world examples such as this that affect our everyday lives.

A picture of me and Grace Peel at the Audubon Meeting!