Founded in 1982 by the Ottawa Banding Group, the Innis Point Bird Observatory is located on Department of National Defense property along the Ottawa River, near Shirley's Bay, just 12 km west of Ottawa. IPBO is a non-profit organization dedicated to the study of birds and natural history. Migration monitoring occurs in spring only at 2 distinct sites (Point and Field) about 2 km apart. Other research/monitoring projects include Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship (MAPS), Breeding Bird Census, Tree Swallow, Eastern Bluebird and Purple Martin research, and Snow Bunting banding in winter. There are on-site facilities for long-term volunteers.