Cornell Lab of Ornithology Joins National Effort to

Connect Children and Nature

Ithaca, NY—“The Birds & the Bees Challenge” from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology is one of only 30 proposals selected for endorsement by the National Forum on Children and Nature. More than 500 demonstration project applications were considered, each proposing creative ways to reconnect children with nature and improve their health and well-being.

“The Birds & the Bees Challenge will include four seasonal environmental challenges,” says project leader Karen Purcell at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. “One of the challenges will ask participants to use the Lab’s Celebrate Urban Birds project to count birds in their neighborhoods and report what they see online.” 

The goal of these challenges is to get children and families excited about the outdoors, whether it’s through the arts, gardening, photography, bird watching or some other activity. Partners in the Birds & the Bees Challenge include the Encyclopedia of Life, The Great Sunflower Project, and the “Celebrate Urban Birds!” citizen-science project Cornell Lab of Ornithology. 

“Collectively and individually, these demonstration projects are a platform for advocating for change locally and nationally,” said Larry Selzer, president and CEO of The Conservation Fund, the parent organization for the National Forum on Children and Nature. 

The National Forum for Children and Nature was formed in 2007 after growing evidence linked the decline in children’s health, in part, to the disconnect with nature, including less active time outdoors. By endorsing The Birds & the Bees Challenge, the Forum commits to raising visibility and support for the project. 

To find out more about The Birds & the Bees Challenge or to offer support, contact project leader Karen Purcell at (607) 254-2455 or email kap7@cornell.edu.