Birding without Barriers: Birding 101

Come exploring with your guide to see the unique birds that call the Pine Barrens home

Birding in the Pinelands can be a challenging experience, since finding the birds is often a matter of being in the right place at the right time, especially for those migratory species. Please join us as we follow avid bird enthusiast Claire Campbell on this outdoor adventure. We will look for interesting birds that are residents or just passing through the area. We will take a slow hike, passing through both woods and wetlands and open cranberry bogs.

This inclusive and accessible family-friendly outing follows along a section of the White Trail at the Franklin Parker Preserve. The preserve is a picturesque location perfect for birding as the site has a mixture of forest, open meadow, and wetland habitats. The area is crossed by stream networks of the Wading River. This park is a good place to get long, clear looks at birds because of the relative openness of the preserve. It is also a nice preserve to know about, especially because of its quick and easy access to birding for almost anyone.

Accessibility Information:
The total length of this route is 1.36 miles. The trail is an out-and-back route that follows flat, even terrain. There are no slopes encountered on this trip. The trail is a minimum of six feet wide. The general trail surfaces are compacted soils that allow for rugged terrain wheelchair access. The runtime of the event is estimated to be 2 hours. While there are benches on the property, there are no benches on the route taken. There are no ADA-compliant parking spaces, but the parking lot is spacious and is made up of compacted natural soils. There are portable bathrooms in the parking area, one of which is ADA Accessible.

Pinelands Adventures has several rugged-terrain wheelchairs available for use by request both electric and manual types.   If you would like to use one of our wheelchairs for this event email Sean Kane-Holland, Access Nature Disability Advocate at sean@pinelandsalliance.org or call Sean 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.

The meeting place is the Speedwell entrance to Franklin Parker Preserve. Directions available here: https://goo.gl/maps/J8Q8G92Q1eTbhGpf7