Spring Field Ornithology Celebrates 30 Years with Steve Kress

How an early love of nature led to conservation, education, and puffins

By Jason Mobley

Steve Kress

Photo by Sean Smith

In 2007, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology is celebrating the 30th anniversary of Spring Field Ornithology, a course offered to the public in the Ithaca, New York, area. The course is taught by a dedicated conservationist and educator, Stephen Kress, Audubon's vice president for Bird Conservation

Steve's interest in nature studies began when he was a fourth-grader participating in the Junior Explorer program through the metropolitan parks system in Columbus, Ohio. He developed a serious interest in conservation after seeing natural areas overcome by suburban development near his home.

Steve's first natural history loves were the fish, snakes, and frogs, but by junior high school his interest in birds began to blossom. He became an active member of Columbus Audubon, leading field trips, giving lectures, and eventually becoming an officer. Audubon camps introduced him to a variety of professionals from writers and artists to wildlife biologists and university professors, opening his eyes to the reality of pursuing a career in the service of nature and profoundly inspiring his own teaching style.

Through connections at Audubon, Steve was voted in as the youngest member of the Wheaton Club, a group of "mostly gray guys" who were the premier naturalists of central Ohio. Steve's induction to the club was catalyzed by his friendship with senior member Irving Kassoy, a passionate birder and friend of Roger Tory Peterson who took Steve out on weekends to chase birds.

Steve said that although his parents thought this activity was "pretty bizarre," his grandmother assured them "not to worry, he'll grow out of it." Eventually, his parents began to understand the value of his interest in natural history. Ultimately, they became participants in his Spring Field Ornithology course and traveled to his field site in Maine every year.

Beginning in 1968, Steve worked for the Antioch Outdoor Education Center in Yellow Springs, Ohio, for four years. There, he developed a college-level field ornithology course that formed the foundation and inspiration for what would eventually become Spring Field Ornithology. In 1972, he moved to Ithaca to attend Cornell University, where he earned his Ph.D. in Environmental Education.

While in graduate school, he was surprised to learn that there was no course in field ornithology at the Lab and approached then director Olin Sewell Pettingill about teaching a course for the local community. Pettingill supported the idea and Steve taught his first spring course in 1977.

In 1973, Steve initiated Project Puffin with startup support from Audubon. Today he is director of the Seabird Restoration Program of the National Audubon Society, and because of his efforts and vision, the project's focus has expanded considerably, with at least 60 agencies in about 12 countries worldwide using similar management techniques for 42 additional species.

"It's been totally amazing how well it has gone; it's beyond my wildest expectations," Steve says. He adds that he never once thought about calling it quits and that the challenges he encountered only inspired ideas for new projects because the experience helped him "discover a whole new way of thinking about wildlife management."

When asked to reflect on the history of Spring Field Ornithology, Steve credits course coordinator Terry Mingle for helping the course really take off in enrollment and participant satisfaction. He also notes Sandy Podulka's contribution as field instructor and coordinator as one of the biggest keys to success.

Asked how much longer he thinks he can keep teaching Spring Field Ornithology, Steve proclaims, "I don't see any end in sight. When you like what you are doing, it's easy. Spring Field Ornithology gets me in the field and keeps me engaged by seeing the excitement that people have for even the most common birds."

Given his three decades of dedication to the Lab's flagship public education outreach course, one might not deduce that Spring Field Ornithology is but an aside to an equally long and distinguished career in conservation biology. Like the fledgling birders participating in Spring Field Ornithology for the first time and the seasoned veterans of the course who keep coming back for more, threatened seabirds worldwide and the Atlantic Puffins of Maine in particular exemplify the greater impacts that Steve has made on our relationship with the natural world.

Jason Mobley is the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's acting director of Education.

For permission to reprint all or part of this article, please contact Laura Erickson, editor, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 159 Sapsucker Woods Rd., Ithaca, NY, 14850. Phone: (607) 254-1114. email: lle24@cornell.edu