Beginning bird watching: new programming ideas made more affordable.

For most camps, the biggest barrier to adding new programming is money. But sometimes, we can bypass that barrier with a few phone calls and some careful planning. The success of a new bird-watching program we implemented at our camps last summer is a good example.

My employer, the Fresh Air Fund, provides summer activities for under-privileged New York City children. As a camp director for a not-for-profit camp, I am always looking for new activities to help teach inner-city youths about nature.

In the spring of 1993, the general manager of Nikon Sports and Recreational Optics, Jim D'Elia, contacted us with an idea. He offered to loan us binoculars and teach our campers how to use them.

This was an offer I could not refuse. I have directed camps for more than 30 years and always wanted to incorporate a bird study program. As a young boy in the scouting movement, I was introduced to bird study through the scouting merit badge on birds. It was a requirement for becoming an Eagle Scout and probably the most difficult merit badge to attain. It took me over two years to earn the badge, and since then, I've continued my interest in bird-watching and have always felt it would be a worthwhile camp program. By combining Nikon binoculars and instruction with my knowledge of birds, we produced a successful optics/birding curriculum for our campers.

The Program

During our pre-camp staff orientation, Jim and I instructed the nature staff at the Fresh Air Fund's four Fishkill, New York, camps on the elements of the one-hour lesson. The program was an instant hit with both campers and staff.

Divided into three parts, the program began with a 20-minute introduction on birds, using six oversized flashcards featuring color photos of birds such as the black-capped chickadee and Baltimore oriole on one side and facts about each bird on the back.

Next, campers were taught the basics of binoculars, including how, why and when binoculars should be used. Both birding and binocular lessons were very interactive. Campers were encouraged to get involved by posing questions such as "Why do owls see better than people at night?" The answer: Owls' eye pupils are larger than humans', allowing a great deal more light to enter and provide night vision. This discussion was then used to explain the objective lens and light-gathering ability of binoculars.

The third part of the lesson offered hands-on experience, challenging campers to use the binoculars and apply the knowledge they had just gained to spot the bird cards in the field. Campers were arranged in three pre-set stations and teams. We placed one set of cards nearby and instructed campers on how to focus their binoculars for a clear sharp view of the birds. Prior to the lesson period, we had placed another set of cards about 30 or 40 yards into the woods, attached to the trees. Once all the campers had their binoculars focused, the competition began, with each team of two campers trying to spot the cards and accurately identify the birds at each station.

Prizes were awarded to camper teams who correctly distinguished all six birds in the woods. Equipment and prizes, including a beauti-fully designed t-shirt with an environmental message for each participating camper, were supplied by Nikon, The National Wildlife Federation and The National Audubon Society. The Outcome

The workshops emphasized the message "learning can be fun," and campers responded enthusiastically. For many children, the Fresh Air Fund camp was the first opportunity to spy birds other than pigeons.

Did Nikon achieve its goal for the program? "The idea was to show them that there is natural beauty in the world around them - if they just know how and where to look," said Nikon's Jim D'Elia. "Making today's generation more aware of the outdoors is the first step in preserving it for tomorrow, and showing these children a world they are, for the most part, unfamiliar with provides them with a host of positive options."

D'Elia volunteered eight fun days of his time and services to teaching the bird-watching workshops. To enable the program to be maintained when D'Elia couldn't be at camp, we devised a comprehensive instructional manual for the nature staff to follow.

Needless to say, we look forward to continuing the bird-watching program in partnership with Nikon this coming summer. Other camps interested in adding a similar program have a number of options. If your camp can't afford to purchase binoculars, try partnering with a local organization. Granted, not every camp has community ties with a binocular manufacturer. But there may be local organizations willing to donate money for the purchase of binoculars. Alternately, local businesses that sell binoculars - sporting goods stores or discount department stores - might be willing to provide them on loan.

The oversized bird flashcards can be purchased at most educational toy stores. The manufacturer of our cards, the Better Baby Store, also sells them through the mall. A 10.md set can be purchased for $10.95 plus shipping. Contact them at 8801 Stenton Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19118, or call 215/233-2050, ext. 216.