A study published in the journal "Science" last year had bad news for birdwatchers. It said that three billion birds have been lost in Michigan since 1970. But a new program may help reverse the trend.
The Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy is using a 20-thousand-dollar grant from Cornell University to monitor bird populations and restore bird habitats. Conservancy spokesman Mitch Lettow says it's already seen improvements after restoration work at a preserve along Lake Michigan near South Haven:
"We found that those fields, in particular, where we had those points, were a magnet for this bird that's been in decline called a bobolink," said Lettow.
Lettow says the Conservancy plans restoration work on more than 200 acres in the region over the next year. And he says volunteers will keep an eye on bird populations at all of its preserves.