Coastal Cleanup Day

Traditionally held on the third Saturday of September, International Coastal Cleanup Day included Filipino youth at Manila Bay as well as schoolchildren near Tampa, Fla. Many more groups plan to collect litter and debris from waterways and shores on Sat., Sept. 25.

Ocean Conservancy spearheads the annual event, with this being the 25th year. You can find an event near you by searching via this map.

In California, the event has earned honors from the Guinness Book of World Records as "the largest garbage collection" (1993). Last year, fourth-graders in New York City gathered debris, catalogued it and shared their thoughts; as Oliver said, "Birds are lovely, and die from us. When they see a lot of trash, they don't think once, they just eat. Then are poisoned."

Scouts are Flying Wild

A program aimed at schoolchildren and created by Council for Environmental Education, Flying Wild partners recently worked with Boy Scouts of America and Girl Scouts of the United States of America to integrate the environmental education activities with current scout badges and Try-It Activities.

This document shows the correlations between Flying Wild items and the Girl Scout projects for Brownies and Juniors, while this file covers the Boy Scout projects, ranging from Cub Scouts, Tigers, Wolfs, Bears and Webelos to Boy Scouts.

More funds for 'More Kids in the Woods'

Yesterday, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said USDA's Forest Service will contribute $500,000 this year to the "More Kids in the Woods" program for projects that promote outdoor activities.

"If we are going to put an end to childhood obesity, we must promote healthy, active lifestyles and encourage our kids to get off the couch and go outside," said Vilsack. "Our 'More Kids in the Woods' challenge not only promotes physical activity, it fosters environmental awareness and stewardship among young people as we face critical environmental challenges, such as the effects of climate change. 'More Kids in the Woods' helps kids make the connection between healthy forests, healthy communities and their own healthy lifestyles."

The contribution will join $1.5 million in donations and in-kind services from partners. The Forest Service selected 21 projects for funding from more than 130 proposals. All projects focus on curating curiosity about nature and the role of forests and grasslands in providing clean water, clean air and wildlife habitat.

Among the 21 projects, one deals specifically with birds. Kids Take Flight Educational Program at White River National Forest & Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory in Glenwood Springs, Colo., will provide 500 children, ages 6 to 12, with hands-on experiences like releasing rosy-finches, experiencing dragonfly metamorphosis and investigating owls.

Art contest focuses on endangered species

Forty schoolchildren around the country recently learned that their artwork earned semifinalist status in the annual Endangered Species Day Art Contest. Ten students in four age categories -- grades K-2, 3-6, 7-9 and 10-12 -- will have their art judged on May 4 by a panel of scientists, artists, conservationists, photographers and actors including Jeff Corwin, host of Animal Planet’s "Jeff Corwin Experience," and Jack Hanna, host of "Jack Hanna’s Into the Wild."

In the K-2 group, five of the 10 children chose birds as their subjects (Piping Plover, Spotted Owl, Bald Eagle, Ivory-billed Woodpecker and Sandhill Crane) while one artist in the 3-6 category chose Brown Pelican.

Among the students in the 7-9 group, four seminalists chose endangered birds -- Swallow-tailed Kite, Red-cockaded Woodpecker, Brown Pelican, California Condor -- and the 10-12 category included three pieces about birds: Northern Spotted Owl (two) and Kirtland's Warbler.

To see all of the artwork, visit Endangered Species Coalition. Details about the contest appear here, and information about Endangered Species Day -- May 21 -- is available here.

2009 ABA Young Birder of the Year winners

Congratulations to Harold Eyster of Chelsea, Mich.! The 15-year-old won the overall title of 2009 ABA Young Birder of the Year after earning first place in the field notebook, writing and illustration (below) modules for his age bracket (14 to 18 years).



In addition to the title, Harold received prizes from various sponsors, as did the winners in the modules, which includes photography. The competition encompasses two age categories, the other being 10 to 13 years of age, so the annual contest might honor more than 20 entrants as well as multiple honorable mentions.

For the full list of winners and their works, visit this page. You'll find details about the 2010 contest here. The registration form and fee are due June 18.

Many thanks to the experienced birders who participate as judges:
Photography - Bill Maynard, Bill Schmoker and Dudley Edmundson.
Writing – Lisa White, Jeffrey Gordon and Laura Kammermeier.
Illustration – Michael L.P. Retter, Michael O’Brien and Louise Zemaitis.
Field Notebook – Kimberly Kaufman, Noah Strycker and David Sibley.

"Mission: Migration" online game

Want to help your flock safely fly long distances while looking for food, water, shelter and space? Click on Mission: Migration to accept the challenge and see how birds travel during spring and fall migrations.

Players will help the flock dodge storms and airplanes, catch jet streams and fly faster or slower. They also will choose landing sites when the flock runs out of energy.

Kudos to the designers for choosing to feature a young woman as the birder who introduces the animated game! Unfortunately, the pop-up screen wasn't adjustable in size, the text appeared in a small font, and the symbols in the farmland landing zone were too small to read as hazards; the game could be better but illustrates some great concepts.

6 cities join Flying WILD bird program for children

Communities in the East recently began participating in Flying WILD, a program from the Council for Environmental Education. The new partners include Bowling Green, Ky. (Western Kentucky University's Center for Environmental Education and Sustainability); Fort Wayne, Ind. (Science Central); Glen Rose, Texas (Fossil Rim Wildlife Center); Murfeesboro, Tenn. (Discovery Center at Murfee Spring); Newark, N.J. (Newark Museum); and Point Pleasant Beach, N.J. (Jenkinson's Aquarium).

Flying WILD focuses on three goals: using birds to teach core curriculum, providing teachers with educational tools and partnerships, and expanding International Migratory Bird Day celebrations. This year, IMBD falls on May 8; it typically occurs on the second Saturday of May.

Flying WILD's city partners include 27 other communities around the United States and in Canada. You can look for a local event here.

2010 International Young Eco-Hero Awards

Each year, Action For Nature recognizes young people ages 8-16 who personally improved the environment significantly. With the International Young Eco-Hero Awards, the international nonprofit organizations awards cash prizes of up to $500 to the winners who've created progress in environmental advocacy, environmental health, research or protection of the natural world.

The guidelines appear here, and the application is available here. The application deadline is Sunday, Feb. 28.

Please share the details with birding youth!

Free coloring book for young birders

Know a 7- or 8-year-old child who enjoys nature and coloring books? The National Wildlife Refuge System wants to share a coloring book of different wildlife -- such as eagles and bears -- and their habitats. The free book can be downloaded here and then printed. You also can purchase copies of the book by calling 800-344-WILD (9453).

The book seeks to connect children to the natural world and foster a new generation of conservationists, as well as introduce them to the National Wildlife Refuge System. “If we’re serious about environmental protection and protecting the many wild creatures that depend on wild places, then we have to teach youngsters to make that special connection to nature,” said Sam Hamilton, Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. “A coloring book is a good first step. But nothing replaces the real thing — getting outdoors and visiting a National Wildlife Refuge.”

As a student at Art Institute of Washington, D.C., Katie R. Schipp illustrated the book. “I’ve always loved animals and drawing," she said, "so you will see there are animals in a lot of my drawings.

Christmas Bird Count for young birders!

In Northern California two years ago, Sonoma Birding created a half-day Christmas Bird Count program for children ages 8 to 14. The Audubon CBC for Kids runs from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., not from midnight to midnight as in the traditional CBC, and the suggested count dates fall between Dec. 10 and Jan. 15.


Sonomabirding.com provides many helpful details in the link above, and the framework sounds similar to the rules laid out for youth teams in New Jersey's World Series of Birding and the Great Texas Birding Classic.

As mentioned in a recently Bird Education Network bulletin, birding organizations in locations around the United States are adopting the framework and adapting it to their needs. Will you help get more young birders involved in your area?

Above, Audubon CBC for Kids founder Tom Russert with two participants. Photo courtesy of BEN/Christine Hansen

Neighborhood Explorers video game

Want to hang out in a treehouse and be part of a club that earns patches after completing projects? You can, if you're 8 to 11 years old!

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently released Neighborhood Explorers, an online game that aims to teach children about native, endangered and invasive species. The kids can earn patches after answering trivia questions, playing games, building birdhouses, learning how to recycle and conserve, and adding native plants to local habitat.

After earning all five patches, the children can receive a free tree from Arbor Day Foundation. Only the first 450 players to earn five patches will receive a tree.

Will you introduce your 8- to 11-year-old relatives and friends to the game? What do they think of it? On the Welcome screen, I get a kick out of the baby birds that pop up when my mouse scrolls over the nest. The praying mantis does a nice little dance, too!

Grab a bird book and a child!

Today marks Read Across America, sponsored by the National Education Association and held on or near March 2 -- the birthday of Dr. Seuss. Even Google commemorates Dr. Seuss' birthday:


Which books related to birds and nature do you consider good to give to and read with children? Please share your suggestions.

I like "Bird Songs: 250 North American Birds in Song" for young children; the drawings and recorded songs might grab and hold their attention. For pre-teens, "Woods Walk: Peepers, Porcupines, and Exploding Puff Balls!" could galvanize their curiosity about the outdoors.

'Get Outdoors, It's Yours'

A new campaign encourages minors, their parents and their teachers to spend more time exploring the natural world. "Get Outdoors, It's Yours" debuted last week in Baltimore during the National Recreation and Park Association Congress and Exposition.


A U.S. Department of the Interior press release cited Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne (above with pop group Jonas Brothers) and Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schafer:

"...there is a crisis in America in which our kids are increasingly disconnected from nature,” said Secretary Kempthorne. “We must get children off the couch and outdoors. We must get them to turn off the computers and televisions and turn on to the power of wild places and wild creatures to lift them up – to rejuvenate body, soul and spirit.”

“We want every child in America to experience the great outdoors, whether it is in a remote mountain wilderness or a city park,” said Secretary Schafer. “Children react positively to nature. Working together, the federal agencies can help families foster their curiosity about nature and develop a deeper appreciation of precious natural resources.”

Many details appear at the Get Outdoors, It's Yours website. Please spread the word!

Let's Go Outside

A new program from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service encourages children, parents and teachers to spent time together outdoors in back yards, parks, wildlife refuges and other natural settings. Let's Go Outside offers activity ideas, articles about outings with minors, activity sheets for children and information sheets for adults.

If you live with or know children, please peruse that website. Better yet, share it with other adults, including teachers and school administrators. You could be influencing the next generation of birders and helping the birds.

Kudos to bird-aware teachers!

From The Daily News in McKeesport, Pa.:

Consortium for Public Education Rewards 'Great Ideas'

Those funds were applied to Steel Valley's "Math and Science: It's for the Birds"; South Allegheny's "Birds Count"; and the Finley Middle School Composting Project in Ringgold School District.

To Steel Valley Middle School, $1,350 was given for 170 sixth-graders to study the local bird population, taking pictures, doing research on various species and studying their biology.

In math classes, students will learn about various styles of birdhouses and calculate their surface areas, volumes and openings.

They then will build birdhouses specific to certain species and study the birds that use them. The houses will be placed in the memorial garden, the educational pond area and the outdoor classroom.

Dominion gave $1,054.65 to "Birds Count," in which 585 students at South Allegheny Elementary will participate in birding activities.

After bird behavior and identification lessons are taught in the classroom, students will participate in monthly birding events, collecting and submitting data to the online PA Bird Atlas, E-Bird and Urban [Bird] Studies.

Students will share their observations via a school bulletin board and school television network.

Teachers Audrey Aubrecht, Patricia Kostik and Karen Kadar applied for the grant.

National Geographic Kids Group

Children ages 8 to 14 have an environmentally oriented site of their own now. The National Geographic Kids Group, members can read and comment on blog posts about National Geographic Digital Media programs, watch videos, look at photos, play games, print science experiments and listen to music. Frequent updates will animals, insects, plant life, geography, culture and music. Created by imbee.com and National Geographic Digital Media, the site aims to become a safe, parent-approved destination for children and teenagers interested in nature and the environment.

If you know minors who try out the site, please let me know what you think.