For more than 100 years, the annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count has been conducted across North America, and more recently, across the Americas as a kind of census that identifies the distribution and numbers of winter birds.
Counts are taken every year within set 24-kilometre diameter circles, and until this year, the closest counts have been at Bridge Lake and Williams Lake.
On Jan. 2, the first 100 Mile House count takes place and the public is being invited to participate.
Data will be collected from an area that encompasses 111 Mile Road to the north, 93 Mile to the south, east to beyond Buffalo Creek, south east to the middle of Horse Lake and west to near Holden Lake.
People can join a group, which will meet at a location still to be determined. They will visit various areas and take a count over a period of several hours.
Another way to get involved is to monitor a bird feeder at your own home throughout the day, counting species and numbers, and later share results with the organizers.
Anyone interested in participating can get information by e-mailing Barrie Bolton at barrie.bolton@gmail.com or Tom Godin at birding@bcinternet.net.