Bird Walks are guided walks around CSU Stanislaus’ campus that lets people view the many beautiful birds that frequent the campus.
Participants first meet up in the lobby of the first floor of Naraghi Hall. Registration is required before it starts then attendees are given binoculars which will allow them to see the birds through a better view while on the walk.
These walks are usually held every month in the semester; with the next one occurring in September.
The bird walks are organized by two groups, Science in Our Community and The Office of Service Learning. They’re responsible for getting the event information out there, acquiring binoculars for everyone, and maintaining lists of who is attending.
The guide of these walks is Dr. Laurissa Hamilton who is a lecturer in the Biology department at Stan State.
Hamilton took an ornithology class and went bird watching many times in that class, which led her to go out bird watching on her own as well.
She developed a love for bird watching which inspired her become the guide for these bird walks.
Stan State has a wide variety of birds that fly around the campus.
“We probably have greater diversity in species than people might realize so hopefully they get to see that and then learn a little bit about the different species that are here,” Dr. Hamilton says.
Those who have been on Turlock’s Stan State’s campus know that Canada Geese have a sort of infamous reputation; although the campus community knows that they represent Stan, “Stan State wouldn’t be Stan State without the geese here,” says Beverly White (Business Administration, Sophomore).
eBird is used while on the walk. This website, which is also an app, allows users to keep a checklist of all the species of birds that were observed while bird watching. eBird allows for uploads of pictures, audio recordings, and more. Others are able to see different people’s checklists to see what kinds of birds they can see in the area.
Anastasia Mendez (History, Junior) attended the Bird Walk Event on May 2nd. When asked why, Mendez said, “I thought it would be neat, also for extra credit for Professor Rainwater’s Geology class.”
The past bird walks have occurred during the morning, but Dr. Hamilton wants to try evening as well as weekend bird walks for those who want to attend but can’t because of work conflicts.
Another reason for these changes in days and times is because Dr. Hamilton says she’s seen different birds at night that people don’t get to see during the day.
