Young Birders
Providing birding experiences for young people and supporting them with their bird-related projects.
To ask about birding events for young birders, email our Education Coordinator, Kate Milutin Teaford at education@stjohnsaudubon.com
For more information about ways to get youth involved in birding, see National Audubon’s Article, EASY WAYS TO GET KIDS BIRDING.
Saving the Florida Grasshopper Sparrow – Conservation at Work
Watch the video above for an insight into how wildlife scientists work, Dr. Paul Gray of Audubon Florida and Jorge Buening, Lead Biologist at the Welaka National Fish Hatchery, talk to St. Johns Regional Audubon members about the efforts to save the highly endangered Florida Grasshopper Sparrow, a species endemic to the dry prairie ecosystem of central and south Florida.
This video gives an excellent overview of the remarkable scientists who are fighting to bring the numbers of these birds back – the thought processes that they went through, the trial and error efforts they have made, how they adjusted their thinking as new information became available, and how a little creative thinking can solve problems.
This video also shows how their efforts are starting to pay off in terms of increasing numbers of
these little birds.
The video is suitable for budding wildlife conservationists as well as adults.
Links
The SJRA Young Birders Grant and Scholarship Programs
We are now accepting applications for our Young Birders Grant and Scholarship (YBGS)
Program!
The purpose of this program is two-fold:
1. To give young birders and future birders both direction and financial support for their projects that they may want to do to help birds or conserve bird habitat; and
2. To provide scholarships for young birders to take part in birding programs inside oroutside St. Johns County and the part of Putnam County now within the SJRA’s territory (SJRA Area).
Grants
For grants, the SJRA will provide a mentor to help a young birder (or group) develop a viable
project and help with the funding of some of the costs (up to $500) of a project.
- All types of projects are eligible as long as they can directly affect birds. The projects must be located in the SJRA Area.
- Grants are available to birders and future birders, ages 7 to 17.
- Both individuals and groups, such as Girl Scout or Boy Scout troops, are eligible to apply.
- The applicant must be a SJRA Area resident or organization based in the SJRA Area. Grant applications will generally be accepted January – May and September – December.
Examples: - We helped Hannah Kelly develop and build 12 bird feeders at an assisted living facility in Julington Creek for her Girl Scout Gold Award project. Hanna also developed a powerpoint presentation on how birding can be a beneficial activity for the elderly, which she gave to the residents of the facility, and made arrangements for the project to carry on once she went to college.
- We helped Blair Clark build a Wood Duck box at a St. Augustine pond to attract Wood Ducks.
Scholarships
For scholarships, the SRCA will provide up to $500 to young birders, ages 7 to 21, to attend birding programs, such as National Audubon’s Hogg Island program for young people, or Audubon Florida’s Annual Assembly.
Young birders would be eligible for scholarships related to bird or birding programs inside or outside the SJRA Area.
Scholarship applications will be accepted year around.
YOUNG BIRDERS GRANT & SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM Information and Application Files
SJCA YB Grant Instructions September 2023
YB GRANT application Sept 2023
Young Birders Grant waiver and release September 2023
Young Birders Scholarship waiver release September 2023
Have A High Schooler Looking For A Community Service Project?
The SJRA has a program to give high school students an opportunity to contribute to our knowledge base of birds in the SJRA Area and to contribute to the largest data base of bird observations in the world.
In our new independent study, a student will choose a park, conservation area, preserve or other location to bird in the SJRA Area. Using eBird, the student will record his/her birding observations periodically at his/her chosen location. The student’s observations will help us understand where the birds are the SJRA Area, as well as contribute to the largest data base of bird data in the world – eBird! eBird is used by scientists, government officials, and others to study the existence of individual species, their migration patterns (if any), the size of their population, and population trends over time.
Our independent study program is intended to help busy high school students participate in a worthwhile community science project on their own time and at their own pace, while giving them a reason and opportunity to learn about the birds around them. It will also give them experience working with large data bases.
Using eBird, the student will be able to document time spent in the field bird watching as well as the route that he/she took on each walk. This will form the basis of our approving the student’s time when the student needs to document his/her participation in a program for community service credit.
Before enrolling, each student should check with the community service requirement provider to ensure that this program will quality for community service credit.
Before starting an independent study project, we suggest that each student take the “eBird Essentials” free course from The Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
For details on this program, please go to this link for an application and instructions on how to sign up for this project.
HIGH SCHOOL COMMUNITY SERVICE Information and Application Files
YB independent study Sept 2023
Independent Study Application September 2023
Independent study release September 2023
Young Birders Will Love Our Bird Walks
Young Birders and families are welcome to join us on other bird walks. Check out the weekend walks on our calendar. Blair Clark took this picture of a scrub jay on our field trip to Merritt Island.