Press Releases

Take a Spring Break for Birds!

Register now for annual Cornell Lab of Ornithology course

April 9, 2009

Ithaca, NY—Time is running out to sign up for the annual Spring Field Ornithology course offered by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. It takes place over eight weeks, from March 25 to May 17—the 32nd year for this very popular course.

The course is led by Steve Kress, the National Audubon Society's vice president for bird conservation and provides a fun way for people, especially new birders, to learn more about our region's birds and where to find them.

Wednesday evening lectures in the Cornell Lab auditorium cover identification, use of binoculars, bird song, nests, how to create bird habitat in your own backyard, and more.

Guided weekend field trips (in small groups led by local birding experts) include Derby Hill at the southern end of Lake Ontario, the Arnot Forest near Ithaca, and Braddock Bay near Rochester. Optional overnight trips are scheduled for Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge at the north end of Cayuga Lake and the Forsythe National and Cape May Wildlife Refuges in New Jersey.

The cost of the course is $150 for lectures, $150 for the field trips, or $290 for both sections. An additional fee is required for the overnight trips. To sign up, call (607) 254-2466 (outside Ithaca, (800) 843-2473) or visit the Spring Field Ornithology web site at www.birds.cornell.edu/sfo. Email any questions to sfoclass@cornell.edu.

The course is sponsored in part by Wild Birds Unlimited and the Plantsmen Nursery.