On a rainy Friday night in May, bird watching teams gathered on the Carden Alvar waiting for the clock to tick down to 6pm. On the signal they raced (quietly, birders race quietly) to begin counting as many different bird and animals species as they could over the next 24 hours.
This is a fundraising challenge The Couchiching Conservancy has been organizing for 21 years. In the weeks prior, bird lovers and nature enthusiasts had hit up their friends and family for donations and sponsorships that support this beloved place. In Carden, there is a vast expanse of grassland that bird species like Wilson’s Snipe, Eastern Whip-poor-will, Wood Thrush, Sedge Wren and many others rely on for nesting. It is getting increasingly difficult for them to find. Lovers of nature look forward to this weekend every year and compete to see who can spot the most species, as well as raise funds to support this land with invasive plant species removal, trail maintenance and species monitoring.
This year 61 people spotted 177 species in 24 hours and raised $21 000 doing it!! Thank you to our amazing participants for participating once again.
Highlights of Carden Challenge 2025:
New Species Spotted: A Ring-necked Duck counted by two teams
Near Misses (species spotted by only 1 team): White-crowned sparrow, Palm Warbler, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Philadelphia Vireo and Cooper’s Hawk
Misses: This year no teams spotted Sharp-shinned Hawk, Great-horned Owl, Olive sided Flycatcher, Eastern Loggerhead Shrike and Swainson’s Thrush.
Youngest Participant: Three years old
Number of Family Teams: 3
Thank you to everyone who participated, whether you’re a birder, a sponsor or both!