Don't miss the Lunar Eclipse Tonight

The Total Lunar Eclipse will occur tonight and can be visible from the Pacific, Americas, Europe, and Africa. The next total eclipse will not occur until December 21, 2010! We will see partial eclipses for the next few years but none will be as dramatic as tonight.

What is a Total Lunar Eclipse? Glad you asked; this occurs when the entire Moon passes through Earth's umbral shadow and only when the moon is a Full Moon like tonight. These events are amazing to see due to the Moon's vibrant red color during the total phase.

The eclipse will begin at approximately 6:43 pm. MST and end at approximately 10:09 pm MST.

So, grab a lawn chair and a coat and get out to see this wonderful sight; Mother Nature does it again! Enjoy!

For more information visit the following sites:

http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/lunar.html

http://www.mreclipse.com/Special/LEprimer.html

Annual High Plains Snow Goose Festival is Coming!!!

The Annual High Plains Snow Goose & Birding Festival and Nature Arts and Crafts Fair will be held in Lamar, Colorado February 22rd-24th, 2008.

If you are looking for something fun to do this coming weekend head on down to Lamar for this wonderful sight. Lamar is home to migrating birds stopping in the fields and watering holes of SE Colorado. The species you might see include: Snow Geese, Canada Geese, Ross's Geese and Sandhill Cranes at times numbering in the tens of thousands. There will also be lectures, guided nature hikes and a craft fair.

Even if you aren't a birder there's something for everyone! Check it out!

Registration begins at 5 p.m., at the Lamar Welcome Center. Contact 719-336-4379 http://www.lamarchamber.com/ for reservations.

North to Alaska!!!

For the second season, Dee will be headed to the Inside Passage of Alaska as an Exploration Leader with Cruise West. She is the on-board naturalist and Cruise Director all rolled into one. "Most people who talk to me about Alaska think it is too cold, all ice and polar bears. In reality, the Inside Passage is a temperate rain forest and although cool, around 54F give or take a few degrees, it is a beautiful, lush place." Dee will be aboard the M/V Spirit of Endeavour. This ship is 217 feet in length and accommodates 102 guests maximum. The Endeavour will be taking guests one way from Ketchikan to Juneau or reverse for 9 days and 8 nights. The trip will include Misty Fjords National Monument, Petersberg, Frederick Sound and Tracy Arm, Sitka, Glacier Bay NP, Skagway and Haines. Wildlife that has been seen include: Bald Eagles, Brown Bears, Black Bears, Gray Wolves, Mountain Goats, Humpback Whales, Orca, Tufted and Horned Puffins...just to name a few. If you would like more information please contact GTG.

Great Backyard Bird Count this Weekend!!!

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

11th Annual Great Backyard Bird Count
February 15 – 18, 2008
Count for Fun, Count for the Future!

This weekend people all around the nation will be counting birds, including Guides-To-Go. It's easy and fun and you can even do it while eating breakfast. You can count for 15 minutes on one day or 24 hours for 4 days, any observations will be helpful.

The GBBC is sponsored by Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Audubon, please read on for some exciting news.

What’s new this year?
Check out the GBBC website (http://www.birdcount.org/) for improved features, including:
Ability to submit YouTube bird videos. The best videos will be posted on the GBBC website.
Expanded sparrow identification page.
New bird call identification game for kids.
New FAQ section and narrated GBBC overview.

Win something cool!

When you send in your checklist this year, you will automatically be entered in a prize drawing to win items like binoculars, bird feeders, and a variety of great books! Check out http://www.birdsource.org/gbbc/press/news-stories/prize-list-for-2008 for a listing of prizes.

Submit Photos to our Online Gallery and photo contestDuring the count, take digital photos of birds (and bird watchers!) and submit them to the GBBC website. All photos submitted will be entered in the photo contest, and some will be posted in an online gallery. Images will be accepted through March 1.

Your counting counts.

In 2007, GBBC participants made history, breaking records for the number of birds reported and number of checklists submitted. Participants sent in more than 80,000 checklists tallying over 11 million birds of 613 species. Last year, as a result of your counts, we discovered that many bird species had already started their spring migrations in February—earlier than in decades past. Your counts help us build a long-term record of where people are finding birds and how many birds there are. Although your bird counts need to take place from February 15-18, you can submit data as late as March 1, 2008. If you have any questions, please contact us at citizenscience@audubon.org or cornellbirds@cornell.edu.

Remember: the GBBC is fun, free, and helps birds!

If you would like assistance please contact guides-to-go@excite.com and we can help get you started.

Everything in nature has a story to tell...

Learn to listen with Guides-To-Go. We often get asked what it is that we do, so here is a brief explanation. Guides-To-Go or GTG is a business that develops and delivers nature programs and trainings to various entities at their sites. We work throughout the US and can travel Internationally if need be. Some examples are: School science projects, Bird programs, Volunteer Training, Continuing Education and even Birthday Parties to name a few. We are for anyone who wants to learn more about the natural world and to get out in it. If you would like more information send us an email, we would love to hear from you.