Birders can now register for the 29th annual Montezuma Muckrace, a 24-hour competition running from 6 p.m. Friday, Sept. 11, through 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 12, across the Montezuma Wetlands Complex.
The event benefits the Friends of the Montezuma Wetlands Complex and raises money for bird conservation, environmental education and public access projects. The Montezuma Audubon Center at 2295 State Route 89 in Savannah will serve as event headquarters.
Teams will compete to identify as many bird species as possible within the 242-square-mile Montezuma Focus Area. Registration categories include collegiate, competitive, youth, low-carbon, photo, family or mentor, and recreational teams.
Organizers said winning teams in recent years have recorded as many as 148 species, while participants collectively have found as many as 192 species in a single day. A pizza dinner and awards ceremony will follow the competition at the Audubon center.
Trophies will recognize the team that identifies the most species, the team that raises the most money and the top collegiate team. The winning team names will be engraved on trophies displayed at the center.
The Muckrace raises about $12,000 each year through sponsorships and pledges collected by participants, according to organizers. Past proceeds have supported pollinator research and management, Virginia rail and common gallinule research, wetland restoration at Hidden Marsh and Loop Road, observation deck construction, Motus radio telemetry deployment and winter banding of American black ducks.
The Montezuma Wetlands Complex is a globally significant Important Bird Area and a stopover for migratory waterfowl, songbirds, shorebirds and birds of prey. Organizers said the area provides habitat for threatened and endangered species including the pied-billed grebe, black tern and short-eared owl.
The event is organized by the Friends of the Montezuma Wetlands Complex, Montezuma Audubon Center, state Department of Environmental Conservation and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Registration and sponsorship information is available at friendsofmontezuma.org under the Muckrace page.
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