Environmental education, outdoor learning, and seasonal observations from Bushy Hill Nature Center and Day Camp

At Bushy Hill Nature Center, our woods and wetlands serve as a living classroom for environmental education.  Through hands-on, place-based outdoor learning, our educators engage campers, families, and school groups in meaningful nature exploration.  These field notes highlight the experiences, seasonal discoveries, and teaching approaches that shape our nature-based day camp and school field trip programs throughout the year. 




Winter may seem like a quiet season in the natural world, but it is actually one of the best times of year to observe birds. With leaves off the trees and fewer distractions in the landscape, birds become easier to see and hear, whether you are walking through the woods, exploring wetlands, or watching your backyard feeders.

Birdwatching continues to grow in popularity, thanks in part to tools like the Merlin Bird ID app, which allows users to identify birds by recording their songs and calls. Taking time to stop, listen, and observe birds helps deepen our connection to the natural world. It sharpens our awareness of the wildlife that shares our space and provides a real sense of accomplishment when we learn to identify a bird by sight or sound.  Just as importantly, greater appreciation often leads to stewardship. When we understand birds and their needs, we become more mindful of how our actions affect them, from reducing unnecessary outdoor lighting during spring and fall migration to avoiding rodenticides that can unintentionally poison birds of prey.


This winter marks the 126th annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count, one of the longest-running citizen science projects in the world. The tradition began in 1900 when ornithologist Frank Chapman proposed a holiday bird census as a conservation-minded alternative to seasonal hunting traditions. At the time, bird populations were in steep decline due to habitat loss and plume hunting, which killed birds solely for their feathers, then popular in fashion.
Concern for declining bird populations helped inspire major conservation milestones. In 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt established Pelican Island as the nation’s first Federal Bird Reserve, now recognized as the first National Wildlife Refuge. Roosevelt, often called the “Conservation President,” was a lifelong naturalist who kept detailed notes on birds from an early age and as President signed the Antiquities Act, protecting culturally, historically, and scientifically significant lands through the establishment of National Monuments.  Several National Park Service sites, including Grand Canyon and Acadia National Parks, were originally established using the Antiquities Act.  
Today, thousands of volunteers participate in the Christmas Bird Count each year between December 14 and January 5, collecting valuable data that helps scientists track population trends and assess the overall health of bird species nationwide. This information continues to inform conservation efforts across the country.


A winter hike at Bushy Hill offers opportunities not only to see birds, but also to discover evidence of species we rarely encounter directly, especially nocturnal birds like owls. Once the cedar swamp freezes, it's possible to explore deeper into this habitat and find signs of owl activity, including pellets beneath roosting sites.
Owl pellets contain the indigestible remains of an owl’s meal, including bones, fur, feathers, and teeth, that are coughed up several hours after feeding. While pellets should not be touched directly, they can be carefully examined with a small stick, offering a fascinating window into food webs and predator-prey relationships.
Owls are particularly well-suited to the cedar swamp area and other parts of the property. Atlantic white cedar trees provide concealed daytime roosts, while standing dead trees (snags) with large cavities offer shelter and nesting opportunities.  These are excellent examples of how diverse habitats support a wide range of wildlife.


Not all birds migrate south for the winter. Species that remain have evolved impressive adaptations to survive cold temperatures, and few illustrate this better than the black-capped chickadee.
Despite weighing about the same as five pennies, chickadees can lower their body temperature overnight by anywhere from 13 to 22 degrees to reduce heat loss. They fluff their feathers to trap warm air close to their bodies and rely on frequent feeding to replenish energy reserves. In fact, chickadees consume more than 35% of their body weight daily, which would be equivalent to a 150-pound person eating over 50 pounds of food every day.
Chickadees often forage in small groups, helping one another locate food. They also cache seeds in bark crevices or even wooden siding. To support this behavior, their hippocampus, the part of the brain responsible for spatial memory, actually expands in the fall to help them remember hundreds of food storage locations.
Additionally, chickadees and many other bird species use a countercurrent heat exchange system in their legs and feet, allowing warm and cool blood to pass closely together. This minimizes heat loss while keeping their core body temperature stable, an example of physiological adaptation in action.


Birds are not just winter curiosities at Bushy Hill—they are a central part of our summer camp and field trip programming. This summer, Bushy Hill campers will have the opportunity to become birders themselves. Campers will learn how to observe birds closely, identify field marks, recognize different bird calls, and understand why birds vocalize.
Using binoculars, notebooks, and hands-on experiments, campers explore bird adaptations and the diversity of species that rely on Bushy Hill’s woods and wetlands. We incorporate Audubon Connecticut’s Forest Bird Habitat Assessment, prepared for Incarnation Center, to help campers understand how habitat quality supports bird populations. Campers also become familiar with The Birdwatcher’s Dozen for Bushy Hill, a collection of common species well-suited to the habitats found here.
Hands-on learning extends into the woodshop, where campers build nesting boxes and owl boxes, investigate which native plants benefit birds, and contribute to our own Bushy Hill Birds Citizen Science project, documenting bird observations over time.


Whether you are a family looking for meaningful outdoor experiences, an educator seeking engaging field trips, or a parent exploring summer camp options, Bushy Hill offers rich opportunities to connect with nature through observation, inquiry, and stewardship.  Winter birding is just one example of how we use the natural world as a living classroom, one that inspires curiosity, builds skills, and fosters a lifelong respect for the environment.
We invite you to visit, explore, and learn alongside us in every season!

December 2025
Winter birding at bushy hill: Observations, adaptations, and citizen science

A longstanding tradition: The Audubon Christmas Bird Count

Reading the landscape: Winter Signs of Bird Activity

surviving the cold: remarkable bird adaptations

learn, observe, and connect at bushy hill

birds at camp and in the classroom