Hello Cayugabirders! For the last 3 years the Cornell Lab has been excited to be able to offer weekend guided bird walks in Sapsucker Woods throughout the year and innovative, interesting programming to groups and visitors from all over the world. Thanks to the hard work of a number of volunteers (many of whom are CBC members) we've been able to lead thousands of visitors during that time, many of whom received their first inspirational experience with birds thanks to those hard-working leaders.
On Saturday 29 October, from 11 AM — 1 PM, I'll be holding an orientation session for folks interested in becoming an outreach volunteer at the Cornell Lab. This session will cover what you need to know to become a volunteer, orient you to the Cornell Lab and its programs, and is the first step in sharing your interest and skills as an agent of the Lab. **Please reply to this email and let me know if you are interested in attending—if you've already replied, then you're already on the list!** There are two main kinds of volunteer activities. The first is leading bird walks for the public and for other groups. Most of our advertised bird walks are aimed squarely at beginner bird watchers, and a comfort level identifying at least the most common 20-30 bird species would be necessary to be an effective leader. Ideally, you could be available to lead 1-2 walks a month (at 1-1.5 hours/walk). This can also be a great opportunity for you to learn more about the birds around us and how to engage others. The second category of outreach volunteer involves leading educational activities with the public, school groups, university groups, and others. Some of the highlights include the popular (and comprehensive) Kids Discover the Trail program at the Lab each Spring, our Migration Celebration festival, Darwin Days activities, Children's Book readings, and even some new programs that we are in the process of developing. The categories aren't mutually exclusive (i.e., you can be either or both), and this initial orientation session is equally applicable to both categories. I'll provide coffee & snacks for the session, you bring the enthusiasm (& something to write with!) Thanks again for your interest in volunteering for the Cornell Lab! Sincerely, charles. ****************************************** Charles Eldermire Public Education Outreach Associate Manager, Sapsucker Woods & Johnson Visitors' Center Cornell Lab of Ornithology 159 Sapsucker Woods Rd. Ithaca, NY 14850 (607) 254-1131 (607) 254-2111 [fax] birds.cornell.edu/visit<http://birds.cornell.edu/visit> twitter.com/sapsuckerwoods facebook.com/sapsuckerwoods -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
