On Saturday, October 10, CLCC, Avalonia Land Conservancy, and Otis Library collaborated to host Walk, Observe, Connect: A Walktober Nature Adventure in Norwich, a morning of birding, outdoor exploration, and learning how everyday observations can contribute to conservation research.

The day began at Avalonia Land Conservancy’s Cedar Wood Preserve, where participants embarked on a one-mile guided bird walk led by CLCC’s Community Conservation Coordinator, Vanessa Daye, and Allison Black, a NOAA Seabird and Marine Mammal Observer.

Throughout the walk, participants used the eBird app, a community science platform that allows birdwatchers to document their observations and contribute to a global database of bird populations. But beyond identifying birds, the group had an opportunity to explore how thoughtful land stewardship creates and maintains the habitats these species depend on.