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Sora Photo: John Conkin

Welcome to MarshWatch!

MarshWatch is a new pilot program focused on wetland birds and amphibians for beginners.

Virtual webinars along with self-guided activities slowly build your identification skills without getting overwhelmed. The ultimate goal is to give you the skills to confidently submit a checklist of birds from a visit to a wetland of your choosing.

Live webinars take place every Wednesday evening, starting March 27 and run for 10 weeks, ending May 29. We encourage you to visit a wetland each week – there really is no better way to learn than to be out with the birds!

March 27, 2024 – The Wonder of Wetlands

April 3, 2024 – Basics of Bird ID – ID Session 1

April 10, 2024 – ID Session 2

April 17, 2024 – ID Session 3

April 24, 2024 – ID Session 4

May 1, 2024 – ID Session 5

May 8, 2024 – ID Session 6

May 15, 2024 – ID Session 7

May 22, 2024 – Review Session (runs longer than usual)

May 29, 2024 – Program Wrap-up

Register for the 2024 webinars here

Submit Observations on NatureCounts

MarshWatch acts a stepping stone for the Marsh Monitoring Program, a citizen science program returning to prairie Canada in 2024, by teaching the necessary identification skills without the pressure of a formal survey.

We hope you join us!

In case you missed it live, you can watch past webinars below:

Webinar 1 – The Wonder of Wetlands

Webinar 2 – Bird ID Basics and ID Session 1

Species covered: Canada Goose, Mallard, Northern Shoveler, Red-winged Blackbird, Yellow-headed Blackbird, Sora, Boreal Chorus Frog, Wood Frog.

Webinar 3 – Bird ID Session 2 + Wetland Plants

Species covered: Northern Pintail, American Coot, Red-necked Grebe, Pied-billed Grebe, Killdeer, American Avocet, Black-necked Stilt, Northern Leopard Frog
Plants covered: Cattails, Bulrushes, Common Reed (Phragmites), Duckweed, Carex sedges, Rushes, Spike Rushes

Webinar 4 – Bird ID Session 3

Species covered: Blue-winged Teal, Green-winged Teal, Horned Grebe, Eared Grebe
Wilson’s Snipe, Black Tern, Spring Peeper, Gray Treefrog, Cope’s Gray Treefrog.

Looking for the 2023 webinar recordings? View them on our MarshWatch YouTube playlist here!

Be sure to check out the Bird Identification for Beginners webinar!

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