Cornell University Cooperative Extension, NYC
Cornell Cooperative Extension in NYC along with local schools provided New York City youth opportunities for celebrating urban birds!
Celebrate Urban Birds NYC!
Visit the Cornell Cooperative Extension NYC website
Celebrate Urban Birds! with Cornell University Cooperative Extension - NYC.
New York City has been celebrating its urban birds with Cornell University Cooperative Extension – NYC (CUCE-NYC) since the arrival of spring.
On April 26, 2009, Central Park visitors learned about urban bird species at Central Park’s Earth Day event. CUCE-NYC educators created a bird matching game for the event, using the bird silhouette poster from the Celebrate Urban Birds! (CUB!) packet and bird picture cards made from photos on the website. Children and adults alike delighted in the challenge of identifying the project’s 16 target species in an interactive and engaging way. Throughout the day, adults, children, and families stopped by the CUCE-NYC Earth Day booth to learn more about city birds and to put their bird identification skills to the test.
On May 5, 2009, New York City school children gathered at Roberto 
Clemente State Park, a waterfront park along the Harlem River in the Bronx for experiential bird education. Approximately 200 students from Bronx elementary schools enjoyed a live “Mad About Raptors” show and then joined CUCE-NYC educators to learn about urban birds. Educators led groups of students in 10-minute bird surveys to collect data about the park’s birds and in discussions on how rivers, vegetation, and paved areas influence the composition of bird populations in an urban park.
On May 9, 2009, CUCE-NYC brought CUB! to Thomas Jefferson Park in East Harlem as part of the Americorps Service Week Opening Day. CUCE-NYC trained 30 Americorps volunteers working in New York City after-school programs on leading youth in environmental learning in urban neighborhoods. Volunteers learned how to conduct explorations of neighborhood green spaces, including community gardens. They also learned how to incorporate CUB! activities and bird surveys into neighborhood-based environmental learning. The day ended with the volunteers conducting five bird surveys in Thomas Jefferson Park.
Read about Cornell Cooperative Extension NYC 2007 and 2008 events.
