GILEAD — Lesley Rowse, a U.S. Forest Service biologist, will lead an early morning bird walk on Saturday, May 14.
The birding adventure begins at 7 a.m. at the parking area near Hastings Campground, which is south from Route 2 in Gilead at the junction of Highway 113 and Wild River Road.
The southern end of Highway 113 will be gated, so the parking area will only be accessible from the north.
The guided walk will last about two hours. All ages and abilities are welcome.
Each spring millions of migratory birds return to the U.S. and Canada to breed and raise their young.
“The White Mountain National Forest provides valuable habitat to a variety of these birds, including several species of warblers and thrush,” Colleen Mainville, WMNF spokeswoman, stated Wednesday in a report.
“In addition to being part of America’s natural heritage, birds are economically important and serve as critical indicators of environmental health upon which we all depend.”
The event celebrates International Migratory Bird Day.
Coordinated by Environment for the Americas, International Migratory Bird Day is the largest bird conservation and education event of its kind in the Western Hemisphere.
The theme of IMBD 2011 is “Go Wild, Go Birding.” Its goal is to encourage people to learn more about birds, bird watching, and bird conservation. For more information and resources, visit www.BirdDay.org.
Additionally, to honor the centennial anniversary of the Weeks Act, celebratory activities are taking place throughout the region this year.
In decades prior to 1911, unregulated logging by private timber companies in the White Mountains resulted in a damaged landscape susceptible to fire and had drastically affected the cleanliness and availability of water.
Passed in 1911, the Weeks Act allowed the U. S. Forest Service to manage purchased private land.
The nearly 800,000-acre White Mountain National Forest is one of 52 National Forests created under this act.
National Forests provide clean water, wildlife habitat, recreation opportunities, forest products and more. For a full calendar of events, visit www.WeeksLegacy.org.
For more information about the Gilead bird walk, contact Rowse at 603-466-2713, ext. 231, or the Androscoggin Ranger District in Gorham, N. H., at 603-466-2713.
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