Adventures without Barriers: The Big Sit Event
The Big Sit is a annual, international, and very unique birding event!
These programs are designed for individuals with mobility concerns in mind. Birding can be a challenging experience, since finding birds is often a matter of being in the right place at the right time, especially for those migratory species!
DATE: April 18 & April 25 TIME : 10:00am (2 hours)
Location: Rancocas Cranberry Preserve 632 Ongs Hat Road, Pemberton NJ 08088
Directions: Rancocas Cranberry Preserve
DATE: May 16 TIME: 10:00am (2 hours)
Location: Pinelands Alliance 17 Pemberton Road, Southampton, NJ 08088
Directions: Red Barn at Pinelands Alliance’s HQ at Bishop Farmstead
Please join Pinelands Alliance’s Nature Accessible for All and avid bird enthusiast Claire Campbell on this outdoor adventure while we will look for interesting birds that are residents or just passing through the area.
The Big Sit! is an annual international birding event. It is open to anyone, anywhere in the world. All individuals or groups are eligible to participate; just follow The Big Sit rules and submit your results. The Big Sit can be as competitive or non-competitive as you would like, but it is meant to be fun. The Big Sit is like a Bird-a-thon. Individuals or teams find as many species as possible in 24 hours. There is one critical difference – all observations must be made from within a circle no more than 17 feet (5.2 meters) in diameter.
On this inclusive mobility and family-friendly outing, we will take a slow hike, passing through woods, wetlands, and former cranberry bogs.
The trail follows along former cranberry bog dikes and paths with the final destination being on the banks of a picturesque reservoir. The location is perfect for birding opportunities as the site has a mixture of forest, open meadow, and wetland habitats as the area is crossed by stream networks of the South Rancocas River. The reservoir is a good place to get long, clear looks at birds because of the relative openness of the former farmland and dense forested wetlands. It is also a nice space to discover and become acquainted with, especially because of its quick and easy access to birding for almost anyone!
Accessibility Information:
The total length of this route is 1.5 miles. The trail is a there-and-back route that follows flat, even terrain with no slopes. The trail is a minimum of 8 feet wide. The general trail surfaces are crushed stone and compacted soils, which will allow for rugged terrain wheelchair access.
The runtime of the event is estimated to be 2 hours.
There are benches once we reach the reservoir for resting, there are no ADA-compliant parking spaces, but the parking arrangements bring you close to the access point for the trail. The parking area is naturally compacted surface. Additionally, there is one ADA-compliant portable bathroom available.
We look forward to birding with you!
For those seeking additional information about the program, location, and available wheelchairs for the program please contact Sean Kane Holland via email or phone at sean@pinelandsalliance.org, (609)-859-8860 ext. 117
Note: Participants who are not requesting to use Pineland Adventures wheelchairs should come prepared with their own mobility assistive devices. Bring walkers, canes, crutches, and personal outdoor assistive gear.