Photo courtesy of Green Jay Mayan Birding
Do you work with local communities, engaging peers, youth, or the general public in the natural world through the magic of birds? You are invited to apply for a mini-grant from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology! These grants, which usually range from $100 to $750, are distributed through the Cornell Lab’s Celebrate Urban Birds project. Community events awarded a grant must include activities that combine birds, nature, the arts, and citizen science. The citizen science part is easy: participants get to watch birds in their neighborhood!
All mini-grant applicants are offered free materials and training to support their events, even if their proposals are not funded. No experience with bird watching is necessary. Organizations working with underserved communities are strongly encouraged to apply whether it’s a business, hospital, healthcare organization, senior center, or community center.
The deadline for submitting an application is December 31, 2016.
Past examples of mini-grant winners include an ice-cream shop that gave coupons to customers who collected data and planted bird-friendly flowers; an oncology center that encouraged patients to collect data while they waited for appointments; a day habilitation program that combined community work, gardening, bird watching, and the arts; many youth-led community greening projects; and dozens of other community organizations.
Photos courtesy of Green Jay Mayan Birding (left) and Sociedad Huentelauquen Medio Ambiente (past mini-grant winners).
The application form is very simple. Applicants just answer a few questions about the activity being planned. Anyone needing assistance can email Celebrate Urban Birds at urbanbirds@cornell.edu or call 607-254-2455.