The Cornell Lab of Ornithology is excited to host The Cornell Lab Young Birders Event, which will be held July 11-14, 2019 in Ithaca, New York. The Young Birders Event aims to bring together teenagers with a passion for birds and interested in pursing a career in the field. You’ll meet people who have successful careers that involve birds in a variety of ways from ornithological researchers to tour leaders, to audio specialists and computer scientists. High school-aged young birders (students entering grades 9-12 in the fall) are invited to fill out our application form and return it for review by March 15th 2019. Sixteen young birders will be selected and notified in early April. Slight preference is given to students entering 12th grade and students who have previously applied.
The Young Birder’s Event will feature:
- two days of field trips
- presentations by Cornell Lab of Ornithology staff including professors, researchers, and students who will share various ways to incorporate birds into a career
- eBird and sound recording workshop
- tour of Cornell Lab including the Macaulay Library and Museum of Vertebrates
- dinner with Cornell Lab staff
Application Deadline: March 15th 2019
Tuition: $600 Travel expenses to and from Ithaca are not covered in the tuition.
Meet Chris Wood and Jessie Barry, the primary leaders for the event:
Chris Wood is the Assistant Director of Information Science, helping lead eBird, Birds of North America, and other projects. He’s a Colorado native who’s been birding since he figured out he couldn’t find dinosaur fossils in his sandbox. Chris has traveled the world in search of birds and is thrilled to be able to share stories and birding skills with young birders.
Jessie Barry is Program Manager for the Macaulay Library and helps lead Merlin, a bird ID app. Jessie grew up in Rochester, NY where she began birding at age ten. She and Chris are grateful for the opportunities they had as young birders and are working to create opportunities for the next generation of leaders in ornithology.
For additional information: The Cornell Lab Young Birders
