Bird-A-Thon is more than a 24-hour celebration of birds. It’s a celebration of Manomet’s history. The Trevor Lloyd-Evans Banding Lab is part of our Landbird Conservation Program, and each year we must raise $325,000 to keep this vital science alive, supporting banding interns, providing outdoor learning spaces for students, and advancing songbird research that guides conservation action across the hemisphere.  

For almost six decades, our Banding Lab has been at the heart of understanding bird migration, tracking population changes, and guiding conservation decisions that protect birds across the hemisphere. 

Remember, Bird-A-Thon is an annual tradition, but our conservation work happens every day. Help us keep this legacy alive by joining us on the day. There are different ways to give and support.  

Join us at Manomet’s headquarters in Plymouth, MA on Saturday, October 3rd from 7am–12pm for a day of family fun and conservation impact. 

Agenda

7:00 am – 12:00 pm Big Sit by the Bluff

Stop by the bluff to help with our Big Sit! The “Big Sit” is a stationary birding event where participants aim to see and hear as many birds as possible from within a set boundary (traditionally a 17-foot circle). On the bluff you’ll find scopes, a whiteboard to add any new sightings to, and Evan Dalton, Manomet’s Director of Landbird Conservation. This event will be ongoing, so you’re free to drop between other events as you wish! 

No registration is required.

7:00 – 8:30 am  Bird-A-Thon Sunrise Bird Walk 

Start your day with a special sunrise bird walk as we kick off Bird-A-Thon 2026! This guided walk will be led by Lisa Schibley, Manomet’s North American Coordinator for the International Shorebird Survey, during the peak of fall migration. Explore Manomet’s beautiful property while birding along the way! 

A suggested donation of $15 or more is appreciated to support Manomet’s work.

Register for the Walk here

9:00 – 10:00 AM Field Sketching, Live Birds and Environment with Mace Mayor
Animator · Illustrator · Sculptor

High School level and up, passionate younger artists are welcome to draw along. No drawing experience necessary. Class is limited to 10 participants.

Description: This workshop will focus on observation as participants learn how to quickly sketch live animals in the field. You will learn the building blocks for capturing important morphological information and how to construct a drawing from a live, dynamic subject – like a bird! Small, fast-moving subjects can be challenging, so together we will explore techniques for pose memorization and exaggeration to strengthen your field-sketching skills. We will primarily focus on birds as subjects while also incorporating strategies for developing overall page composition.

Where we will be: Meet at the bluff and then move locations based on where the birds are. We will be travelling between field sketching sites.

Please bring:

• Pencil/Markmaking tool (graphite, charcoal, anything preferred to draw with) – should be graphite 2B or softer. If using a pencil, it should be able to make a dark line with little pressure.
• Sketchbook, recommend something around 7×5 or LARGER.
• Any gadgets you use to bird! A scope will be available for participants.
• An observational eye and interest in drawing!

Register here

10:30 – 11:30AM Plein Air in Watercolor with Mace Mayor

Animator · Illustrator · Sculptor

High school level and up, passionate younger artists are welcome to draw and paint along. Drawing experience preferred; ambitious first-time artists welcome. Class is limited to 10 participants.

Description: Find a bird, grab your sketchbook, and let color take the lead! This workshop will build on skills learned during the field sketching workshop as you use watercolor to bring field sketches to life. Participants will explore color theory and learn how color choice and environment can shape and transform bird paintings. Learn how to incorporate background features, choose colors that will make birds pop, and experiment with perspective and lighting to create depth and dimension. Guided by Mace, you’ll have the opportunity to explore your own individual approach to color and artistic expression. Come prepared to observe, experiment, and have fun painting the birds of Bird-A-Thon!

Where we will be: Meeting at the bluff, moving locations based on where the birds are. We will be travelling between field sketching sites.

Please bring:

• An understanding of field sketching or have drawn before. This program will quickly touch on how to draw for painting but move into how to use watercolors fast.
• Painting supplies: watercolor brushes, watercolor paper, a hard, flat surface to work on, watercolors, and a cup or jar to hold water * 

• Any gadgets you use to bird! A scope will be available for participants.
• Recommended: Blanket or chair to sit on

*There will be a limited number of supplies to share, so please bring your own if you have them.

Register for the watercolor workshop here


9:00am, 10:00am, 11:00am – Tour the Trevor Lloyd-Evan’s Banding Lab

Meet at the door of our banding lab to get a first-hand account of what happens behind the scenes here at Manomet and get a quick tour of the lab with our expert banding team!  Learn why we band birds and why this work is important for bird conservation. 

No registration is required.

Additional Activities

Stop by the Songbird Science Station at the banding patio to explore Manomet’s historical banding data, get a firsthand feel for what it’s like to be  bander and to investigate our bird biofacts to see what our banders look for when processing a bird in the lab! At the welcome table, be sure to pick up a Garden Scavenger Hunt to guide you as you explore and bird our Garden for Wildlife. Return the scavenger hunt for a Manomet Banding Lab bandana that you can decorate on-site with fabric markers to make it your very own! Looking for a space to relax? Check-out the Book Baskets in the Garden for Wildlife. Grab a picnic blanket or a seat and a curl up with one of our many wildlife themed books for a peaceful moment in nature.

Want to make a larger contribution?

Visit the Support the Banding Lab page to learn the different ways you can support landbird conservation. Symbolically adopt a mist net or nest box, sponsor a banding intern, or fund a field trip for local students. Every gift supports migratory bird research and inspires the next generation of conservationists.