Friday, May 28, 2010

Saturday, May 8, 2010

The Junior Master Naturalist are proud to be one of 17 groups chosen to receive a Celebrating Urban Birds Mini Grant from The University of Cornell Ornithology Lab. The JrMN are preparing for their event, the Bird Bash. During the event children (and adults) will learn about urban birds like the starling, house sparrow, barn swallow, etc. through the arts, games, and study. Children will be able to play Bird BINGO that has been arranged to contain the birds that we will be looking for and counting later in the event. We'll also have a station for making bird houses and feeders. Everyone will learn how to be a Citizen Scientist, to observe and collect information, for the Ornithology Lab. The JrMN have practiced observing already by going out in the colonia to watch for birds. (The children saw many active birds in their colonia that they had never noticed before: sea gulls, great tailed grackles, and mourning doves.)At the Bird Bash children will also have the opportunity to help plant native plants in order to attract more native birds and butterflies. The group is looking forward to teaching other kids what they have learned over the past months. We are proud to have this opportunity to work with Celebrating Urban Birds at Cornell. For more information about Celebrating Urban Birds and how you can become a Citizen Scientist go to: http://www.birds.cornell.edu/celebration