LEARN ABOUT CREATURES

A Minneapolis bird blog to check out: http://www.birdchick.com/

So tonight there was this event at a bar near my house, 'Merlin's Rest.'

A few months ago, I had heard that there was this girl in Minneapolis who was really into birds and that there was this thing every month where you could go drink beer with birders. So tonight, I finally checked it out.

There were about 12 people there, a mixture of younger and older folks, super-birders and newer birders. Some people who were really involved with the DNR & park service, others with the Minnesota Ornithologist's Union, some photographers. Really nice birders, and probably the only situation in which you will hear birders joking about eating Sandhill Crane (which is a game animal.)

The woman who organized the event was a really inspiring person who was really good at steering the socializing towards bird conversation. So this was a nice way for me, as someone new to birding here in Minneapolis, to meet more bird geeks like myself.

What's really so important and great about these face to face meetings is that I found out that there are list-servs for birding. OK, so sure, I already knew that practically every town in the states has some sort of bird list-serv. I haven't actually joined one before, so I don't know what sort of things they talk about, but sounded like it's lots of bird sitings, and maybe some opportunities in the area to help out the birds, doing bird banding.

In the past I have felt like list-servs are....I don't know. Even though I do a lot of computers, in general I get nervous about posting to list-servs, usually because I never understand how to fit in with the conversation. But the people at Birds 'n Bars were talking about this, and that sometimes the older birders intimidate the newer birders a bit. So I think it was normal that I was a little scared off. Guess I will join it, and write a review of what I learn about.

A summary of some other opportunities I learned about in Minneapolis.
If anyone else wants to try these out...go for it!

* volunteering at the raptor center in st. paul
* signing up for the minnesota ornithologist's union
* another bird list that i forget the name for (so basically, there's more than one)
* volunteering for the parks as an interpreter (don't know the best process for this)
* it's possible to get a job as a park ranger without a degree in forestry
* nature jobs do exist for people who are REALLY interested and motivated/dedicated
* there are opportunities to help out with some of the meetings for birders, so that might be a good way to get involved
* these minneapolis birders were really excited about the christmas bird count (which is a really big count that has happened for decades)
* the mississippi wildlife refuge is supposed to be really good. it is near the mall of america.
* find your local bird bloggers. I am realizing more and more that all the super birders all already have blogs. This is true in San Francisco as well. So finding the local birding (or other nature) bloggers is going to be a good way to keep a little tapped in to all the movements of the birds through the seasons

* winter is a great time for birding
* there are 400+ species of birds in minnesota