The Roger Tory Peterson Institute will host a free outdoor introduction to the Great Backyard Bird Count on Saturday from 9 to 10 a.m.

Roger Tory Peterson created the modern field guide to birds in the 1930’s, but how are birds doing in the region today? How about nationally and globally? That is what the Great Backyard Bird Count helps quantify.

Sponsored by the National Audubon Society, the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology and Birds Canada, the Great Backyard Bird Count is a global event that is critical for tracking changes in winter bird ranges and numbers.

Last year, more than 250,000 people from 194 countries participated and counted more than 27 million birds from almost 7,000 different species.

Craig Thompson, vice chair of the Audubon Council of New York State, will show bird watchers of all ages and abilities how they can conduct a simple 15-minute bird count at home during the four-day President’s Weekend survey.

“Birds are excellent environmental monitors, and studying changes in abundances and distributions of birds can reveal trends that help scientists design conservation strategies,” Thompson said. “The Great Backyard Bird Count is a wonderful opportunity to get to know our local birds better and to be involved in bona fide citizen science at the same time.”

The program kicks off an ambitious schedule of guided birding forays which RTPI has planned for this year. Participants should dress for a short trail walk over the institute’s gentle terrain and will be required to wear masks and practice proper social distancing. Binoculars are not necessary, as it is easy and acceptable to do a count without them.

Spaces are limited. Those interested in participating are asked to register with Thompson at 518-788-7412 by 5 p.m. on Thursday.