Annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count at Callaway Gardens

Dec. 16, 2011 - PRLog -- PINE MOUNTAIN, GA  – Calling all birders!  Every Christmas season Callaway Gardens® participates in The National Audubon Society’s Christmas Bird Count Program.

Volunteer birders are needed to assist with the Callaway Gardens count on Friday, December 30, 2011.  Some participants simply watch feeders from the comfort of their home, while others walk and drive through different portions of the count area to census the bird populations.  

Last year between December 14 and January 5, Audubon’s official “count period,” over 61 million birds were reported on 2,215 counts. Apart from its attraction as a social, sporting and competitive event, the Christmas Bird Count reveals key scientific information about the Winter distribution of resident and migratory birds across the Western Hemisphere.

Each count has a designated circle measuring 15 miles in diameter.  All the birds seen or heard during the 24-hour (midnight to midnight) count day are tallied by birders. The center of the Callaway Gardens Count circle is near the Mountain Creek® Inn at Callaway Gardens, so the census area encompasses all 13,000 acres of Callaway Gardens, as well as the FDR State Park and a large portion of Harris County.  The National Audubon Society charges each participant a $5 fee to help offset the cost of data processing.  Preregistration for the Christmas Bird Count is required by December 23, 2011.  To volunteer for this exciting event, call the Preserve at Callaway Gardens at (706) 663-6745 or email ccroft@callawaygardens.com .

Callaway Gardens® is in Pine Mountain, Ga., 60 minutes southwest of Atlanta and 30 minutes north of Columbus.  For additional information, call 1-800-CALLAWAY (225-5292) or visit www.callawaygardens.com.
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About Callaway Gardens
For almost 60 years, Callaway Gardens has provided “a place of relaxation, inspiration and a better understanding of the living world” for millions of visitors.  Owned and operated by the non-profit Ida Cason Callaway Foundation, Callaway Gardens includes a garden, resort, preserve and residential community on 13,000 acres in Pine Mountain, Georgia.  Highlights include a butterfly conservatory, horticultural center, discovery center, chapel, inland beach, nature trails and special events throughout the year.

In addition, Callaway Gardens offers nearly 80,000 square feet of meeting space, 763 guest rooms, restaurants, shops, golf, tennis, fishing and more.

Five unique, close-knit residential communities — with custom home sites, lakefront properties and cottages on the golf course — offer an ideal home away from home or full-time residence.

Callaway Gardens is home to a 4,610-acre forest preserve which is under conservation easement.  This conserved, sustainably-managed land is used for biological studies and environmental education programs.

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A gardens, resort, preserve and community, owned and operated by the non-profit Ida Cason Callaway Foundation, offering "So Much to See and Do" while "Connecting Man and Nature in a way that Benefits Both." Located in Pine Mountain, Georgia.