Youth Birder Program

Ready to turn your curiosity into confidence and your love for nature into a lifelong skill? The Youth Birding Program is a hands-on, high-energy outdoor course designed to transform students into capable, ethical, and awe-filled young birders.

Over four action-packed months, students will explore the fundamentals of ornithology—from spotting field marks and decoding bird vocalizations to understanding anatomy, behavior, ecology, and conservation. Each module builds both knowledge and wonder, equipping students to identify birds by sight and sound, document their sightings like real scientists, and care for creation with purpose.

Here’s what students will experience:

Module 1: Bird ID Bootcamp — Field Marks and Field Notes

• Learn to identify local species using field marks

• Practice using binoculars, field guides, and eBird

• Build a personal Life List and master banding codes

• Activities: Binocular drills, feeder watch, bird code games, etc.

Module 2: Chirpology – The Language of Birds

• Decode the different types of bird vocalizations

• Learn memory techniques using mnemonics and imagery

• Tune your ears through immersive listening activities

• Activities: Blindfold sit spot, alarm analysis journal, bird call bingo, etc.

Module 3: Form & Function – Bird Anatomy and Behavior

• Study bird structure, flight patterns, and silhouettes

• Discover how birds eat, communicate, migrate, and nest

• Think like an ornithologist with observation journals

• Activities: Anatomy matching, silhouette quiz, behavior log, etc.

Module 4: Feathers & Forest – Ecology and Conservation

• Explore bird habitats, breeding grounds, and migratory paths

• Learn about adaptations, endangered species, and global threats

• Embrace core birding ethics and environmental stewardship

• Activities: Habitat study, conservation challenges, etc.