by Barbara Petersen

This year, 2026, will be National Audubon’s 127th Christmas Bird Count (CBC). Our Rainier Audubon chapter has participated every year except one (canceled by a snowstorm) since its founding in 1978.

There are varied ways to participate in a CBC – join a Field Team, count at home if you live within the Count Circle, or join the Count Dinner Team. One can sign up in the fall on the Rainier website or at one of the Rainier Program Nights. 

If you’d like to help with this longtime citizen science project and prefer indoor work, being the CBC Field Coordinator may be just right for you. If you have a partner or friend also interested in this role, even better! Working together would make it more fun and more efficient. 

This coming year a CBC Committee is being formed. Members will take over seven tasks formerly done by the Field Coordinator. Now is an excellent time to give the Coordinator role a try. 

CBC Field Coordinator tasks:

• Communicate date of CBC to Area Leaders and Count Dinner Team as soon as chosen by Rainier Board and CBC Committee. 
• As CBC participants register on website or sign up at program nights, assign each to desired role (Field Team, Count Dinner, Feeder Count) via email. 
• Reassign participants as needed to endure coverage in all Areas of RAS Count Circle. 
• Send CBC species checklist via email to all Area Leaders (who may prefer using eBird) and the separate species checklist to Feeder Count folks. 
• Support CBC Compiler if needed by forwarding CBC results from Area Leaders, Feeder Counters. 

Contact Barbara Petersen at bpbatfan@aol.com for more information about the role of CBC Field Coordinator.