This is the 20th Anniversary of the first Birding Blitz held in 2002. This birdwatching contest fundraiser for Friends of the Cache supports habitat preservation and restoration in the Cache River Wetlands.
The Birding Blitz of Southernmost Illinois is an event held where teams compete to see and hear the most species of birds in a 24-hour period, while raising money for conservation in southernmost Illinois. Teams can search for birds throughout the eleven-county area of southernmost Illinois, from Jackson, Williamson, Saline, and Gallatin counties south through Union, Johnson, Pope, Hardin, Alexander, Pulaski, and Massac counties.
This area includes cypress swamps, upland forests, grasslands, and big rivers. Public lands in the area include Cypress Creek National Wildlife Refuge, Cache River State Natural Area, Mermet State Fish and Wildlife Area, Horseshoe Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area, Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge, Giant City State Park, Trail of Tears State Forest, the Middle Mississippi River National Wildlife Refuge, and the Shawnee National Forest. (Birds counted along the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers must be no further than half way across the river when seen or heard.)
