Aaron’s Big Day

Event Date: May 15, 2025

It’s time for our fourth-annual fundraising Big Day! Aaron Rusak, the Georgian Bay Land Trust’s Conservation Director and an avid birder, will lead a small group of Land Trust staff and volunteers in an epic quest to see as many birds as possible in 24 hours. Follow along with our efforts, and pledge your support to help us raise funds for bird research and habitat conservation.

What is a Big Day? A “Big Day” is an attempt by birdwatchers to spot as many bird species as possible within a single 24-hour period. Aaron and his team of helpers will begin their quest around 1 am and finish late in the evening that same day. Big Days are usually conducted within defined geographic boundaries so that records can be compared year to year: Aaron will be birding within the District of Muskoka, which covers Georgian Bay from Port Severn to Twelve Mile Bay, most of the Muskoka Lakes, Huntsville, and Lake of Bays. The all-time Big Day record for this area is 133 species, which our Georgian Bay Land Trust team set last year.

Curious about what a Big Day entails? Read Aaron’s account of 2022’s adventure here, and Sarah’s account of 2023 here.

You can support Aaron’s efforts, and help protect the habitats that these birds depend on, by pledging to donate to the Georgian Bay Land Trust for every species we see. Fill out the form below to make your pledge!

We’ll be posting live updates from the Big Day on our social media accounts. Follow along on Instagram (@gblandtrust) and Facebook (@GeorgianBayLandTrust). Make sure to check our stories as many of the updates will be there.