Why should I volunteer?

How do I participate?

Signing up for a Western Screech-Owl survey near your home is as easy as it has ever been! If you email us with your name and general location, we will link you up with a transect wherever you are in coastal BC. If one doesn’t exist in your area yet then we’ll make one just for you!

While you’re waiting for your transect, or if you have one already, take a look at our survey methods page for more information on what you’ll need to take with you on the survey.

Important Note:

PMRA does NOT provide any form of insurance for volunteers. Thus, volunteers are responsible and liable for their actions and safety in the field (i.e., during surveys and when accessing survey locations). Note that PMRA recommends use of InReach or other satellite based communication devices when accessing areas outside cell reception as well as pre-determined safety contacts and scheduled check-ins with those contacts for all surveys

There is no better way to learn about nocturnal wildlife than by spending time out and listening at night. For participants, doing a survey helps you to see more owls, to learn more about vocal activity and to explore locations at a time that people are not often out and around.

If you are interested in helping to uncover the mystery of the disappearing screech-owl, then taking on a survey route is the best thing you can do. Because we are managing our data in Birds Canada’s NatureCounts platform, volunteers will have access to an App that lets them enter all of the survey data on their phone. During the survey!