Philadelphia Free Library Offering Bird-Watching Backpacks

If you've been looking for an opportunity to get outside and explore nature this spring, why not try bird watching? The Free Library of Philadelphia is helping community members experience the joys of this hobby by making bird-watching backpacks available at every branch. 

Each backpack is stocked with binoculars, field guides, neighborhood-specific maps, and information about local nature groups. Some backpacks include kid-friendly items like "kidnoculars" and sighting journals. Library users can check out the backpacks for up to three weeks and must return them to the same lending branch.

According to PhillyVoice, since its 2017 rollout at three Free Library branches, the program has expanded to include 20 locations by last fall. Earlier this year, the program launched at all Free Library branches. More than 1,700 checkouts of the backpacks have occurred since last October, according to figures provided by the Free Library.

A report of the initiative from last year shows the most popular checkout period was from May through June. Spring is an ideal time for birding in Pennsylvania and the mid-Atlantic region as numerous birds migrate through the Atlantic Flyway. Birds, such as waterfowl and shorebirds,  frequent this route from Florida to Greenland in response to rising and falling temperatures.

To complement the spring migration, the Free Library will host guided bird walks and related events in the coming weeks.