The RSPB's annual Big Garden Birdwatch is just around the corner & it's a great opportunity to invite the local community to discover your churchyard & the variety of birds & other wildlife that live there.
Can our Church host a Big Garden Birdwatch?
YES! So why not invite all ages from your local community to gather together to observe the birds for one hour between 24-26 January 2025. Find out more here: RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch
What will I need?
Start by signing up for the Big Garden Birdwatch, you'll then receive a free guide which will tell you how to record your findings & where to send your results. Register here: Big Garden Birdwatch
You don't need much to host a basic birdwatching event, apart from a quiet, comfortable, accessible space for all ages to sit & watch the bids. To help identify the birds, offer bird spotter sheets, like this one from the Woodland Trust, or have bird books available for all ages to use as a guide. Your free guide from the RSPB also includes useful bird ID info.
If you wish, you could have a few pairs of binoculars or encourage people to bring their own. If the weather is wet, you could turn your porch into a bird hide.
Want to offer more at your Big Garden Birdwatch?
Here are a few simple ideas to explore.
Warm refreshments on a January day are always welcome, from coffee, hot chocolate & pastries, to soup, toasties, or tea & cake, simply choose which best suits your event & the time of day. How about hosting an Early Bird Breakfast or Birdwatch Brunch?
After you've completed your birdwatching, why not encourage families & individuals to make bird feeders or bird boxes to either take home or leave in your churchyard. Perhaps you could add some new bird boxes to surrounding trees & invite people to keep an eye on them & any visiting birds throughout the coming year.
Set up a simple bird food 'pick & mix' station where all ages can fill small paper bags with different bird seed. Discover which seeds different garden birds prefer & bag up a selection to share with friends & neighbours to encourage as many people as possible to feed this birds this Winter. Find out more about which bird food to offer here: How to feed the birds
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After sending your Big Garden Birdwatch results to the RSPB, why not display them in your church. This is a simple way to encourage visitors to explore your churchyard & to observe the birds & other wildlife for themselves. Having a space in your church where visitors of all ages can record any sightings is a useful way of keeping a log of the many birds species in your churchyard, but also an opportunity to note any changes too. Perhaps you could set up a monthly birdwatch event in your churchyard?
To help encourage children & families to keep an eye out for the birds, why not display this interactive Bird Trail around your churchyard for a few weeks. Find out more here: Wild Bird Trail.
If you're looking for printable bird themed activities, this simple activity pack is designed to accompany the Wild Bird Trail: Bird Activity Pack. You might also like our
Bird Bingo sheet which can be used on the day or left in church for younger visitors to explore throughout the year.
Whatever you decide to offer as part of your Big Garden Birdwatch event, I hope it encourages all ages to get involved & appreciate garden birds & the amazing habitats around our churches. May it also encourage more people to actively care for creation & in doing so help protect these wild birds.
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