Young Ornithologist Workshop

The Beaverhill Bird Observatory’s (BBO) Geoff Holroyd Young Ornithologists’ Workshop is a free skill-building volunteer opportunity.

Geoff Holroyd is the current Chair and a co-founder of the BBO, the oldest banding station in Alberta and the second oldest in Canada.

Up to 10 participants, aged 15-18 years old, will be selected. They will be provided with the opportunity to learn bird banding and identification skills from experienced ornithologists at our field research station east of Tofield, Alberta. Applicants do not have to be top-notch birders, but they should have an interest in nature, birds and conservation.

The BBO will cover all direct costs of the workshop including food, travel for field trips, and professional instruction. Recipients are responsible for their transportation to and from the banding station, tents and sleeping bags. Tents are available for loan if applicants cannot bring their own.

Participants will be immersed in the daily, hands on work of field ornithology while they learn about the BBO’s migration monitoring program, MAPS (Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship) sites and participate in the running of a bird banding lab.

They will improve their bird identification while being trained in the skills and art of handling and banding birds, aging and sexing techniques, bird behaviour and the life histories and conservation concerns of species. The students will also learn about bats, butterflies and other wildlife.

The students will be tenting and sharing camp duties, another necessary skill for a field biologist. Field trips to surrounding areas and talks by experts on natural history topics will be offered in the afternoons and evenings.

The Workshop will run from Friday, August 2nd to Thursday, August 8th 2024.

The application deadline is July 1st, 2024.

For more information and to apply please visit the Beaverhill Bird Observatory website.