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Photo: Dorothy Metzler

         Eastman and the Longview Christmas Bird Count

     The Longview Christmas Bird Count has been in existence for 13 years. It is one of about 2,000 such counts scattered across the U.S. and Canada. The National Audubon Society sponsors the annual Christmas Bird Counts. On these counts, parties of birders count as many different bird species and individuals as they can find in a 24-hour period inside a 15-mile diameter circle. Data from each count is compiled and enjoyed by each individual bird watching group, but the National Audubon Society also compiles the data nationally. Scientific studies are run on the nationally compiled results to determine trends in population for each species over time. Many important conservation projects have arisen from the study of Christmas Bird Count data.
     Eastman has a long and supportive history with the Longview, Texas based birdwatchers, most of who belong to the group, the Northeast Texas Field Ornithologists. Each year, Eastman provides a conference room and a hot meal at the plantsite, which is much appreciated by the birders at the end of the long birding day. The Longview count usually attracts about 15-20 birders. After the meal, the birders tally their numbers at the "countdown", such that everyone knows before they go home how many species and individuals were seen on the Longview count.