Mini-Grant Winners!

Twenty-one organizations were awarded Celebrate Urban Birds Mini-Grants this spring. We received more than 650 applications. Selected projects featured activities involving birds, community service, art, and greening. Their events are a true inspiration!

Learn more at: http://www.birds.cornell.edu/celebration/community/mini-grant-applicants/help-us-select-the-winners/
Winners are:

   1. Stephen Community Development Corporation, AL
   2. 4-H Special Needs Club, MS
   3. Queen City Creamery, MD 
   4. Detroit Day School for the Deaf, MI 
   5. Austin Public Library, Windsor Park Branch, TX    
   6. Alzheimer's Alliance of Smith County, TX 
   7. Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art, MD 
   8. Museum of the City of New York, NY 
   9. Lion's Den Youth Outreach Center,  MA
  10. Wisconsin Youth Company, Inc. WI
  11. Fresh Approach, CA
  12. Martin Luther King Community Center, IN 
  13. Avimor Community, ID
  14. Fairfield Area Partners, Hutchinson, Kansas
  15. Arlington Public Library, Shirlington Branch, Arlington, VA
  16. Louisa County Conservation Board, Wapello, IA
  17. Urbana Park District, Urbana, IL
  18. Neighborhood Associates at Wingate Towers & Garden Apartments, Washington, DC
  19. StoneLion Puppet Theatre, Kansas City, MO
  20. Toledo Botanical Garden, OH
  21. Asociaci󮠍ayaguezana de Personas con Impedimentos, Puerto Rico


In addition, Celebrate Urban Birds is supporting over 100 additional mini-grant organizations throughout the world with free materials including educator kits, CDs, books, DVDs, and much more.

Please consider a DONATION to help us fund more of these deserving proposals to create Celebrate Urban Birds events.

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Birds in Art/Art in Birds Recognized Entries
We are so inspired by the wonderful work we received!  People of all ages and from all corners of the world participated.You'll see drawings, paintings, videos, quilts, poems, stories, photographs, sculptures, and more. They'll make you laugh, cry, gasp, and pause. Everyone who participated deserves recognition.

Please visit our website to see selected entries: http://www.birds.cornell.edu/celebration/challenge/birds-in-art-art-in-birds-entries
and recognized entries: http://www.birds.cornell.edu/celebration/challenge/winners-birds-in-art-art-in-birds

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Celebrate Spring: New Challenge starts May 1
Celebrate spring! People of all ages are invited to go outside and look for funky nests in funky places! Take photos, do some painting, write a story, make a quilt, create a sculpture. Learn more: http://www.birds.cornell.edu/celebration/challenge/challenges

The first 50 entries will receive a copy of our "Doves and pigeons of North America" poster by Julie Zickefoose. We'll also post selected entries on the Celebrate Urban Birds website.

How do you enter?
First, learn more HERE.

Then, email your entry to urbanbirds@cornell.edu.

1. Write "Funky Nests in Funky Places" in the subject line.
2. You must include your name and mailing address in the email.
3. Tell us why you submitted your entry to the Funky Nests in Funky Places contest.
4.  Read terms of agreement.
5.  If you agree to the terms, send us your entry before July 31, 2009.   

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State of the Birds
Explore the video and website featuring results linking the state of our nation's birds with the health of the environment. Visit: http://www.stateofthebirds.org/ to see the first-ever State of the Birds report. It reveals troubling declines of bird populations during the past 40 years?a warning signal of the failing health of our ecosystems. At the same time, we see heartening evidence that conservation action can reverse declines of birds. This report calls attention to the collective efforts needed to protect nature?s resources for the benefit of people and wildlife.
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Birds and Ice-Cream
Can you think of anything sweeter than birds and ice-cream this summer? MiniGrant winner Queen City Creamery Coffee Bar and Deli in Cumberland MD is offering  free ice-cream cones to anyone who submits their Celebrate Urban Birds data.

Learn more about Queen City Creamery: http://www.birds.cornell.edu/celebration/community/mini-grant-applicants/queen-city-creamery
Submit your data and download your coupon: http://www.birds.cornell.edu/celebration/data
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Windsor Park Library, Austin, TX
Volunteer help needed! Windsor Park Library is looking for volunteers on Saturday, June 13th, for their Celebrate Urban Birds festival. Learn more about the festival and the library. The library is looking for people willing to share their experience in wildlife photography, wildlife rescue, wildlife habitat creation, building bird houses and bird feeders, and more. Contact Margaret at Margaret.Dahl@ci.austin.tx.us, if interested.

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Type Nesting
Where can you find city birds nesting? Do they have a favorite letter? Check out this site: http://typenesting.tumblr.com/

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All About Birds
Remember the silhouette poster you got in your Celebrate Urban Birds kit? It's a great tool to use when discussing ways to identify birds...check out the silhouette section of the Building Skills section of  the newly redesigned All About Birds web site (www .allaboutbirds.org ).   And there are lots more photos to help ID birds, for instance, the Cedar Waxwing page has six different pictures under the field marks section, and six different photos of similar species. 


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PigeonWatch is Featured in Ranger Rick

Project PigeonWatch was recently featured in the March issue of Ranger Rick, a kids' magazine published monthly by the National Wildlife Federation.  Scientists wonder why distinct color morphs still exist in the feral Rock Pigeon population so long after these birds were bred in captivity and then released or escaped to the wild. Does it have to do with their courtship preferences, lack of predators in cities, or something else altogether?  All the materials to participate in Project PigeonWatch are online. 

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Join Celebrate Urban Birds on Facebook
Join our Facebook group so you can easily share photos, events, and ideas. Help us make it a great success!
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=5487246308

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We need your help to keep going!
Please donate! More than 80 percent of the organizations we work with are reaching under-represented audiences and people who are new to birds. For every kit we give to someone who has not had the opportunity to connect with nature, we get a bit closer to creating a world that cares about conserving and interacting with nature. It's good for kids, it's good for families, it's good for seniors, it's good for birds! We promote healthier neighborhoods, habitat improvement for birds, getting kids outdoors, and connecting everyone with nature.

http://www.birds.cornell.edu/celebration/donate

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Please feel free to forward this message to anyone you think would be interested. Anyone can sign up to receive updates by registering for Celebrate Urban Birds or by sending us an email at urbanbirds@cornell.edu.