Dallas County Conservation is continuing their year-long Big Year Birding Challenge program this Saturday with the first field event of the spring.

The event will run from 8 a.m. – noon at the Voas Nature Area near Minburn. Binoculars and field guides will be available, and naturalists will be on hand to aid any amateur birdwatchers. Conservation Outreach Coordinator Ken Keffer says the goal of the Big Year Birding Challenge is to identify 100 unique species in the County, and this week’s field event will be a big step in that process. “When we have bird programs like this, we’re trying to just consolidate a list for the County and see who’s seen what, and you know what birds are out there. And I think it’s going to be a pretty impressive number by the end of the year, with all our programs.”

There is no cost to attend the birding field event, though registration is required. To learn more or to sign up, stop in or call Forest Park Museum at 515-465-3577.