Sound Safari:

written by retired Refuge Manager Steve Bouffard, Boise, Idaho

"Here is a how-to list.  It's not perfect. We are still learning how to improve our programs.  Some of these recommendations we learned the hard way and a few we learned by talking to others with similar experience.  

•    The whole idea of the program is sharing enthusiasm and appreciation for nature. Your main job should sharing this enthusiasm; teaching how to recognize individual bird calls is secondary.  Emphasize that if you enjoy this activity, you don’t need us to lead it.  You can do this on your own with the help of a relative or loved one.  Don't worry about being perfect.  You don’t need to know every call and song.  Don’t worry that some one will get upset if don’t say exactly the right thing.  Participants will be overjoyed that you are sharing an outdoor experience with them.

• Partner with an NGO or agency accustomed to working with people with disabilities. They can help locate participants and can help with special needs and transportation.  Some of our partners have operated a lending library of bird tapes and recorders and have produced Braille bird lists.

• Start each trip with a welcome, introduce yourself and orient participants as to the location.  Then provide an overview about why birds call, what calls they make and what they are likely to hear that day.  If the participants all arrive on one bus some of this can be done while driving to the site.  Have each individual who will help with the tour introduce and say a little about themselves.  This is essential as voice recognition will be the only way participants will be able to recognize the tour guides and assistants.

• Bring wings, feathers, feet, beaks, and full body models for people to feel.  Bird song is beautiful but it doesn't tell you much about the size of the bird, how it flies or how it specializes in life.  Live animals are great too.  Domestic ducks (or maybe domestic pigeons) are robust enough to be handled without harm and small enough not to harm the handler.  This activity requires lots of help.  You cannot simply hold up a specimen and talk about it; you have to take each specimen to each student individually.  We have used up to 6 feel & tell instructors at a time.  Have antiseptic wipes or hand cleaner for cleaning up after handling specimens. 

• Select a location with smooth walking trails, lawn, paved and gravel paths also work fine.  Avoid paths with uneven ground and sites with lots of noise or where you will have to share with bikes, in-line skaters, etc.  Check the paths before participants arrive to pick up limbs, stones etc.

• Walk slowly.  The field trip leader should generally walk backwards so he/she can watch all the participants and communicate better with them.  Have some assistants, preferably with another good birder, bring up the rear of the group. 

• For pure enjoyment of the calls the dawn chorus is great, but to identify individual species later in the morning is better.  There are too many birds calling in the dawn chorus to try to point out individual species.  It is usually difficult to get participants on scene at daylight anyway.

• Participants' abilities vary greatly and some may or may not have endurance for longer hikes.  You do not need to go long distances – ¼ to ½ mile is usually enough.  Have benches or picnic tables scattered along the path for rest stops if needed.  Visually impaired persons might have other problems such as diabetes.  Be prepared to handle diabetic shock cases and similar problems.  Make sure there are suitable restrooms available.

• Blind and Visually impaired individuals might have a poor concept of distance, but a good sense of time.  Tell participants how long it will take to walk the path, not how far it is in miles.

• Point out birds with phrase such as "the bird singing over your heads to your right" rather than with gestures or with phrases like "on the third branch on the left side of the maple tree".  Bring CDs,  tapes, or link to a web site so you can say "here's what a Yellow Warbler sounds like".  It helps pinpoint which species they are hearing when several species are calling simultaneously.  It can also be used judiciously in the field to call birds in. 

• If you allow sighted participants to tag along who want to learn bird songs, explain to them that this trip is primarily for visually impaired persons.  They are welcome to attend, but we will not stop for or identify any birds that are not singing.

• Don't stop at just bird calls.  Help them experience the sound of other creatures, cicadas, frogs, etc.  Let them use other senses, taste wild cherries, smell the sagebrush, feel the bark textures of different trees, feel the wind and sun on your face. 

• Contact news media.  This program is guaranteed to get positive news coverage for you and your organization.  Use it to raise awareness of access issues for disabled people and for nature conservation.

• Make sure all your help know how to behave around seeing eye dogs, if any are present on the tour"

December 2007