At the Mic: Jennifer Pencek
Jennifer Pencek is a freelance writer based in State College, Pennsylvania, and associate editor of the Center for the Performing Arts at Penn State. She loves being able to mix her love of writing with the outdoors.
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Birding enthusiasts and those new to the ever-growing pastime are getting ready for the 2013 Birding Cup at Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center in Petersburg, Pennsylvania, the center’s annual fundraising tournament. Will you be one of them?
The Birding Cup, this year held from 7 p.m. Friday, May 3, to 7 p.m. Saturday, May 4, is a contest among teams of birders to identify the most bird species in a twenty-four hour period in the central Pennsylvania region (Huntingdon, Centre, and adjoining counties). Teams must compete based on a set of Birding Cup rules, and the winning teams are awarded prizes immediately following the contest at the center.
For some insight into the world of Birding Cup, listen to this 2007 story reported by Cynthia Berger of WPSU.
Birding Cup selects winning teams in four categories:
The Birding Cup goes to the team that identifies the most species overall;
The County Cup goes to the team that finds the most species while searching in only one county;
The Potter Mug is for the best team with at least half of its members who have less than two years of birding experience; and
The Birding Boot goes to the team that identifies the most species traveling only by non-motorized means (walking, biking, canoeing, etc.).
Shaver’s Creek fundraising goal for this year’s Birding Cup is $12,000. Pledges may be made per bird identified or in a single donation, and donors may choose to support a specific team. For more information, visit the website or call 814-863-2000 or 814-667-3424
Birding Cup teams must consist of at least three members and must follow the rules of Birding Cup when participating. Team entries should be submitted no later than four days prior to the start. Team entry is free but teams are encouraged to raise at least $100 in donations to Birding Cup. Contact Shaver’s Creek to enter your team. Download the official Birding Cup checklist online to track bird species you see during the Birding Cup. This completed checklist must be submitted by 7:30 p.m. on Saturday at the center.
Birding Cup is awesome! Last year Nemesis Bird competed and ended up with 151 species. We'll be back again to see if we can beat that this year.
http://www.nemesisbird.com/2012/05/birding-cup-results/
Posted by: Drew Weber | 04/14/2013 at 08:41 AM