State Game Commission officials are urging wildlife enthusiasts to join in the Audubon Society’s 114th Christmas Bird Count, which will take place Friday through Jan. 5.

The Christmas Bird Count is the longest-running citizen-science survey in the world, and the data collected allows researchers, conservation biologists and others to study the long-term health and status of bird populations across North America.

Community counts will occur on one day between Friday and Jan. 5.

Volunteers can pick the most convenient count group or participate in more than one count.

In either case, the first step is to locate a count group that’s seeking participants and contact the local count compiler on Audubon’s website, www.audubon.org, to find out how you can volunteer.

Here are a few count locations in Butler County:

• Buffalo Creek, Saturday

• Butler, Dec. 21

• South Butler, Jan. 4

To find local count groups, visit www.aswp.org/birding/ChristmasBirdCount.html.