With the arrival of 2014, we’re excited to add a multimedia component to the YBN. This interview is the first of a series produced by students at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Cornell senior (and producer of this first interview) Andy Johnson tells more about what’s to come:
“The idea behind these informal video interviews is not only to emphasize the diversity of possible career paths in ornithology (and maybe assuage some parents’ concerns!), but also to find inspiring stories that young birders can relate to personally. Hopefully each of these fascinating people or careers will strike a chord somewhere, and provide insights to young birders about how to find direction for their passion. It’s a chance to ‘chat’ with some incredible people, so I encourage every young birder–and adults as well–to explore these stories as they come online.”
Kim Bostwick’s ground-breaking research on manakins has been featured in National Geographic Magazine and she’s currently the curator of the Bird and Mammal collections at the Cornell University Museum of Vertebrates. Kim started as a young animal lover in rural Vermont and has since spent her life studying birds. She tells us a bit about how she came to be doing it, as well as what she’s still looking forward to: