More than 100 studies have shown that getting closer to nature reduces stress and promotes a feeling of well-being in children and adults. So filling feeders and counting the birds that visit may be just what the doctor ordered.

For more than 20 years, participants in the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's Project Feeder Watch have been doing just that -- benefitting themselves and the birds.

"It is a great wintertime activity for the whole family," said Alaska Feeder Watcher Nancy Darnell. "If you have children, they will come to love watching the birds. All of this is fun and a chance to contribute to scientific studies, too."

The 2008-09 season of Project Feeder Watch gets under way Nov. 8 and runs through April 3. Participants count the numbers and kinds of birds at their feeders each week and send the information to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

Participants submitted more than 115,000 checklists during the 2007- 08 season, documenting unusual bird sightings, winter movements and shifting ranges -- a treasuretrove of information that scientists use to monitor the health of birds and the environment.

"Being a Feeder Watcher is easy and fun, and at the same time helps generate the world's largest database on feeder-bird populations," said project leader David Bonter. "We are grateful for the contributions our participants have made for the birds and are proud of the joy they say it brings to their busy lives. Since we started in 1987, more than 40,000 people have submitted observations, engaging with the wildlife beyond their windows."

Scientists learn something new from the data each year, too, whether it's about the movements of common backyard birds or unusual sightings of rarely seen species.

Highlights of the most recent season include the largest southward movement of red-breasted nuthatches in the history of the project -- part of an expected influx of northern birds that fly farther south when their food supplies run short. Among the rare birds reported was a streak-backed oriole in Loveland, Colo., the state's first report of this bird, native to Mexico. A December nor'easter deposited a dovekie in Newton, Mass., the first time this North Atlantic seabird has ever been reported to Project Feeder Watch.

Long-term data show some species increasing in number, such as the lesser goldfinch in the Southwest. Other populations continue a downward trend, such as the evening grosbeak throughout their range. Once one of the most common species seen at feeders in the northern half of the continent, the grosbeaks are declining for unknown reasons.

Beyond the benefit to birds and science, however, is the benefit to participants.

"Nature is not merely an amenity; it is critical to healthy human development and functioning," said Nancy Wells, Cornell University assistant professor of design and environmental analysis. Her studies find that a view of nature through the window or access to the environment in any way improves a child's cognitive functioning and reduces the negative effects of stress on the child's psychological well-being. Wells also notes that when children spent time with nature early in life, it carries over to their adult attitudes and behavior toward the environment.

Project Feeder Watch welcomes participants of all ages and skill levels, from Scout troops and retirees to classrooms and nature center visitors. To learn more and sign up, visit www.feederwatch.org or call (800) 843-2473. In return for the $15 fee, participants receive the "Feeder Watcher's Handbook," an identification poster of the most common feeder birds in their area, a calendar, complete instructions and the Feeder Watch annual report.