The Cornell Lab of Ornithology is excited to host The Cornell Lab Young Birders Event. Two events will be held this year—July 7-10 and July 28-31, 2022 in Ithaca, New York. These Young Birders Events aim to bring together teenagers with a passion for birds and an interest in pursing a career that connects with birds. 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.
All high school-aged birders are invited to apply (students entering grades 9-12 in the fall). Please fill out our application form and send it to us by March 30th 2022. We are able to accommodate sixteen young birders each year, and we will notify applicants about their status 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 30th 2022
Tuition: $700 Includes lodging, food, and transportation to birding sites during the weekend. Travel expenses to and from Ithaca are not covered in the tuition.
If you need financial aid to attend the event, please contact us. We will gladly help coordinate with your local bird club and others to help find a scholarship or other funding opportunities. We can also provide binoculars to those who need them.
Meet Chris Wood and Jessie Barry, the primary leaders for the event:
Chris Wood is the Managing Director of the Center for Avian Population Studies and the Director of eBird. 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 experiences and learn from 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 please contact youngbirders@cornell.edu.
The Young Birders Event is sponsored by Carl Zeiss Sport Optics, Princeton University Press and Wild Birds Unlimited. Scholarship support provided by the Lucy D. Preston Young Birders Fund.