The 2024 “I BIRD NY” Challenge has begun in New York State.
The State Department of Environmental Conservation announced the challenge which provides opportunities to identify birds and learn about birdlife. It awards program finishers with a commemorative I BIRD NY Challenge patch and the chance to win birding equipment.
New York has more than 350 Birding Trail locations and new locations are added often. Birdwatching is one of the fastest-growing outdoor recreational activities in the United States. According to the 2022 National Survey of Hunting, Fishing, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation, 7.4 million wildlife watchers generated $10.8 billion in New York State in 2022. This is up from an estimated four million New York resident wildlife viewers spending more than $6.4 billion annually in 2016.
The I BIRD NY program was launched in 2017 to build on the State’s efforts to increase access to New York’s vast natural resources and promote no- and low-cost opportunities to enjoy the outdoors and connect with nature. The annual birding challenge saw a 745 percent increase in participation in 2023, with 1,226 birding enthusiasts completing this fun challenge.
The 2024 I BIRD NY Challenge is open to all ages and ends on November 1, 2024.
To complete the Challenge, participants must identify 10 bird species of their choosing and submit a challenge sheet to DEC.
Challenge sheets may be submitted online via Survey Monkey or sent via email or mail. Entries must be received by November 15. Entry forms are also available in Spanish. Links to submit entries will be posted in this story on wrfalp.com
All participants will be awarded a commemorative patch, given a completion certificate, and entered into a drawing for great birding prizes. Two youth and two adult winners will be chosen. Participants will also receive an extra prize entry for providing a photo documenting their challenge experience. As an extra bonus, the first 50 participants will receive a special goodie bag of birding swag items.
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