The state-wide event: The NSW and ACT Twitchathon is a fun way to combine competitive, team-based birdwatching and community fundraising for important bird conservation projects. Teams aim to tick off as many bird species as they can in the allotted time. It's an opportunity to combine your birdwatching skills, knowledge of local hotspots, team-work, and time-management, all in the spirit of having competitive fun, for a good cause!

The project: This year the Twitchathon will be raising funds for the University of Sydney's Eureka-prize winning Sensory Conservation Team to support research into new sensory tools which protect beach-nesting birds from introduced predators, such as foxes, using the cutting-edge technology of olfactory misinformation. The Shoalhaven is to be used as the trial site, so by being part of the Twitchathon you will be helping the birds on our own beaches. To learn more go to University of Sydney research project

The Shoalhaven Special Prequel: This year, there is a special, short, 3-hour Twitchathon to raise money and have some fun as a warm-up for the main event.

The cost and the raffle: To be part of the Great Shoalhaven Twitchathon, you will need to buy a ticket for $25 per person from this site, which includes 10 raffle tickets. The raffle will be drawn at the Brewery on Friday 1st November. A full list of the prizes can be found on https://events.humanitix.com/the-great-shoalhaven-twitchathon-raffle where you can also buy more raffle tickets.

When & where: You can only count birds from 2pm. You choose where you start, the best places to visit for birds and the best route to take to save time. BUT you MUST return to the Jervis Bay Brewery by 5pm. Teams will be disqualified if they arrive after the deadline. The winning team will be announced after all the bird lists have been checked. The members of the winning team will receive a small gift and have a sense of personal fulfilment!

The rules: Like all races there are rules, which you can find at three-hour Twitchathon rules and guidelines. Please read them carefully, as they will ensure nobody has an advantage and OH&S guidelines are followed. However, there are some important changes for this Twitchathon. Instead of "more than half the group" birds must be identified by at least two people in the group. You must stay within the Shoalhaven. Ignore the dates shown and submission details for your final list which will be at the brewery. Only birds on Checklist of the Shoalhaven's 400 birds will be accepted. Please use this form to record your sightings.

Be part of the state-wide Twitchathon too: And don't forget you can still be part of the main event that involves birdwatchers across NSW & ACT over the weekend of 26th & 27th October. You can register your team and raise your own sponsorship on Home | Twitchathon.

If you have any queries, please contact Phil Hendry, our Twitchathon co-ordinator, by text on 0448 445 359.