Death Valley looking for volunteers; Christmas Bird Count on Dec. 30

DEATH VALLEY, California – Death Valley National Park is looking for volunteers to participate in several volunteer events over the holidays.

The volunteer events include the annual Christmas Bird Count and Junior Ranger service projects where participants will have a chance to beautify the park.

On Tuesday, Dec. 27, volunteers will meet at the Texas Springs Campground from noon to 4 p.m., or kick off the New Year with a good deed and join in on Sunday, Jan. 1, from 9 a.m. to noon at the picnic area in front of Furnace Creek Ranch.

Volunteers are encouraged to bring a water bottle, hat, sunscreen, sturdy outdoor shoes, and work or gardening gloves, according to the press release.

Death Valley National Park’s annual Christmas Bird Count is part of the National Audubon Society’s Christmas Bird Count. At the event, birders can experience the diversity of habitats and species found in the Furnace Creek area of Death Valley.

The Christmas Bird Count will take place on Dec. 30, and will begin at 7 a.m. at the Furnace Creek Golf Course parking lot.

The data collected by count participants over the past century provides a snapshot of how the continent’s bird populations have changed over the past hundred years. It also allows researchers, conservation biologists, and other interested individuals to study the long-term health and status of bird populations across North America.

Participants should dress in layers and bring a hat, sunscreen, water, food and binoculars (if available), the park service said in a press release. Participants do not need to commit to the entire day but must be there at 7 a.m.

Each year, the Christmas Bird Count mobilizes more than 70,000 volunteers in more than 2,400 locations nationwide. When compiled, the results will be posted at http://birds.audubon.org/christmas-bird-count.

Also, the park invited children of all ages to participate in Junior Ranger Service Projects Open House Days.

Events will take place in the multipurpose room in the Furnace Creek Visitor Center on Sunday, Dec. 25, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Saturday, Dec. 31, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

For questions about scheduling a service project with your group, email Kira Lucier at DEVA_Volunteer@NPS.gov or call (760) 786-3282. For more information on the Christmas Bird Count, contact Linda Manning at (760) 786-3252 or linda_manning@nps.gov.