KEENE VALLEY & SARANAC LAKE, NY — Are you interested in bird watching, but don’t know where to begin? Starting this summer, the Keene Valley Public Library and Saranac Lake Free Library are loaning backpacks stocked with binoculars and field guides to give people an opportunity to try out birding.

The backpacks are part of the Adirondack Land Trust’s “Adirondack Birding for All” program, which is working with the libraries to increase awareness and appreciation of Adirondack birds and their habitats.

“Birds are such an important aspect of our natural history,” said Derek Rogers, stewardship manager at the Adirondack Land Trust, who helped launch the program. “I’ve been a dedicated birder for 20 years and a sentiment I hear regularly is, ‘I would love to try birding, but I don’t have a pair of binoculars.’ It’s exciting to break down that barrier, so everyone can experience the joy of birding.”

June 2021 birding trip to Coon Mountain Preserve, led by Derek Rogers.

The backpacks include high-quality Vortex HD binoculars, the Sibley Guide to Birds of Eastern North America, Adirondack Birding — 60 Great Places to Find Birds in the Adirondacks, and helpful information on how to use binoculars.

Adirondack Birding for All was made possible by a grant from Northern New York Audubon’s Joseph & Joan Cullman Conservation Foundation Program.

To learn more, visit the Keene Valley Public Library or the Saranac Lake Free Library, or contact info@adirondacklandtrust.org, (518) 576-2400.

All photos provided by Adirondack Land Trust.