Oct 25, 2022 8:00 am1063 views
My alarm is going off as I quietly, yet eagerly, get out of bed at the dark and early time of 4 a.m. Today, I get to do something that I love and that also benefits bird conservation.
I arrive just before dawn at the U. of I.’s Phillips Tract, a former farm that is now a 130-acre natural area just east of Urbana and is used for scientific research and student training. I unlock the gate, park and gather the supplies I keep on site. Then I wait for the volunteers to arrive. The team today is a dedicated mix of staff, graduate students and undergraduates – all of whom are committed to helping capture, band and monitor the birds that use this site.