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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
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Q: I'm changing my address or adding a second one. Who should I notify? A: Please contact the SFO
staff regarding any changes to your address. You can also call the
Lab's Membership Department at
607-254-2414. Be sure to tell them that you are a Spring
Field Ornithology Student!
Q: My child would like to take your course. Do you have a minimum student age? A: The course does have a minimum age requirement.
If your child is at least age 12, he or she may enroll. However, our
course is not suited to younger children. Perhaps some time in the
future we will offer a SFO for children or a similar Lab program. We
apologize for any inconveniences. CORNELL UNIVERSITY GENERAL INFORMATION Q: Can you provide me with some information about studying at Cornell University? A: Here are a couple of starting places:
Q: How do I get in touch with the Spring Field Ornithology Course Staff? A: You may use one of the following methods to contact the course staff:
Q: I'd like to take the course for credit. Is that possible? A: Though the Lab is happy to recommend that one college-level credit be awarded per section (lectures or field trips) following the completion of the course, there may be a slight problem with a transfer of credits since Cornell University does not provide an official transcript for Spring Field Ornithology at this time. In the past we have written letters on behalf of course attendees, and though we've had little trouble with colleges or universities agreeing to accept/grant credits, we always suggest checking with a local advisor prior to signing up for the course. This is particularly important if you need the credits, as each institution has its own policies regarding what is accepted toward a degree program. Also, please note that this type of course is usually taken at an undergraduate level in college, though a few people have taken it (and have arranged to receive credit for it) at higher-levels of education. Many students have arranged to take the course as independent study, by speaking with their local advisor prior to enrolling. This may be the best way to obtain credit for your efforts. Q: If I take the class for no credit, do I get I get a price break? A: At this point in time, the course IS (technically) a non-credit course, offered to the general public for educational purposes. This is because Cornell University DOES NOT provide an official transcript for the course. Therefore, there is no price difference for credit or non-credit students. In the future, there MAY be a price increase for those students wishing to take sections of the course for credit if we decide to offer the (videotaped) lectures as an official Cornell University course online through eCornell. Some people do request to take the course for credit (either as an Independent Study opportunity or as a general biology course through a local college or university), in which case we would offer to write a letter on their behalf after they have sucessfully completed all the exams. Many colleges, universities, and workplaces have agreed to accept this letter in the past and allow credit to be awarded for completion of the course, however we always suggest checking with a local advisor before signing up for the course if it is a course that you NEED for credit, as credit granting policies vary depending on the institution. If you'd like further information, please contact the SFO staff. Q1: Regarding the day trips (Derby Hill, Braddock Bay, and Arnot Forest), is it possible to attend both days? A1: As with any other local field trip, we ask that you attend the Arnot Forest trip on your regular field trip day. Also, please note that because it is a local trip, you will need to bring a bag lunch and a drink with you. Q2: Why don't you do an overnight or a day trip with seminars at the Arnot Forest anymore? A2: Though we always enjoyed staying overnight at the Arnot, it was just becoming too difficult to find a caterer, and also over the past few years, the overnight was not very well attended, and so we decided to try something a little different last year, making it a day trip with some exciting speakers. The speakers did well, and those that attended enjoyed hearing their talks, but attendance was down, so this year we chose to offer it as a day trip, much like our Derby Hill trip. If the trip continues to have low attendance, then in future years we may choose an alternate local location for our last weekend of field trips. Q3: Now that Arnot is a day trip, can I sign up for the trip even if I am not enrolled in field trips or enrolled in the course? A3: SFO lectures participants (from the current year's course), will not be able to sign up for the Arnot trips (Saturday OR Sunday) this year. As for SFO Alumni and the general public, because this is now a
regular day trip, we are no longer able to take outside sign ups for
the Arnot Trip (Saturday OR Sunday). Q: What courses does Cornell offer online? A: For a listing of distance learning possibilities at Cornell, please contact someone from Cornell Distance Learning:
Or, you may contact eCornell:
Q: Do you still record all the field trip sightings for SFO outings in eBird? Can SFO students from lectures AND field trips view the checklists online? A: YES to both questions. All of the SFO field trip
checklists are posted to eBird as soon as we are able
to enter them after receiving them from the previous weekend's field
trip leaders. Instructions on how to access the online checklists are
available to all course participants as a handout. We encourage all our
students to obtain their OWN eBird accounts (it's free!) in order to
keep track of their own individual sightings. It is a great way to keep
track of things, and it also helps US to monitor bird
populations! Q1: Can I switch field trip days from week to week once I've chosen which weekend day I'd like to attend? A1: Because we try hard to keep groups small and not overburden our field trip leaders, we ask that you do NOT switch field trip days from week to week once you have chosen your preferred field trip day and been assigned to a group. If a group of people from either Saturday or Sunday all switched on the same day, you could just imagine the result! Q2: If I do not have a vehicle can I still sign up for the field trips section? A2: Because we have many volunteer drivers with vehicles, it is not necessary to have a vehicle to sign up for field trips. We do try to do as much carpooling as possible for our field trip excursions. Q3: For the longer day trips to Montezuma, Derby Hill, Braddock Bay, and Arnot Forest, what do I need to bring? Do I HAVE to attend those trips? A3: Be sure to bring a bag lunch and a drink to the longer day trips. For those that cannot be away that long, we will have a local (7am-11am) trip on those days as well. None of our all day field trips are mandatory. Q4: Regarding the Woodcock/Owl Watch (special Tuesday evening) trip? Do I HAVE to attend that trip? Can I attend if I am a lectures participant only? A4: That is a special Tuesday evening trip, and it is open to ALL current SFO participants (including lectures section participants). It is not a required trip, but it is usually a lot of fun. Be sure to dress warm, as it does get kind of chilly once the sun sets! Q5: If I just want to take the Field Trips section and not the Lectures section, will I miss out on a lot? A5: Although we feel your learning experience would be greatly improved by taking BOTH the Lectures AND Field Trips sections together, you do not HAVE to take both sections of the course in order to learn about the birds of this area, as either section of the course can stand on its own. Q6: Can I sign up (and pay) for Field Trips individually, instead of signing up (and paying) for the ENTIRE section? A6: Unfortuantely the answer is NO, because the course is very popular, and so we must insist that people sign up for an entire section. If people were to sign up for only one or two trips that might cause problems regarding field trip group sizes and leader availability. Q: What are the benefits of Lab Membership? A: There are many benefits! Beginning at the (basic) Supporting Level, Lab members receive:
By becoming a Lab member, you would join thousands of other birders who support Lab of Ornithology efforts in research, education, and conservation. And, since the Lab is a non-profit, self-supporting unit of Cornell University, your membership gift is tax deductible! For more information about the Lab's membership department, or for information on advanced levels of membership, please visit the membership department web site: Q1: What if I have to miss a lecture? Can I still get the handouts? Are there still class DVDs/videos? A1: If you are enrolled in the lectures section and must miss a Wednesday evening lecture, you can certainly ask for any handouts that you missed, and we will provide them. Also, this year for anyone needing to borrow class DVD's/videos, we are proud to announce that our Wild Birds Unlimited store here at the Lab will be handling all video rentals for course lectures ONLY. We apologize, but we are no longer able to rent out any of the optional, before-class DVDs/video presentations. You may, however, be able to view some of them at the Lab's Adelson Library during their regular hours. Q2: If I just want to take the Lectures section and not the Field Trips section, will I miss out on a lot? A2: Although we feel your learning experience would be greatly improved by taking BOTH the Lectures AND Field Trips sections together, you do not HAVE to take both sections of the course in order to learn about the birds of this area, as either section of the course can stand on its own. Q3: Can I sign up (and pay) for Field Trips individually, instead of signing up (and paying) for the ENTIRE section? A3: Unfortuantely the answer is NO, because the course is very popular, and so we must insist that people sign up for an entire section. If people were to sign up for only one or two lectures that might cause overflow problems in our lecture hall, and limit availability of seats for those wanting to participate in ALL of the lectures. Q1: Do I have to stay at the motel? What if I want a private room? A1: Though we prefer that people stay at the same motel (again, because it is easier to keep track of everyone that way), we realize that there are special situations. If you need to stay somewhere else, or prefer to drive home and then drive back up in the morning on the second day, you would need to let us know, so that we could assist you regarding our trip itinerary. Also, YES, it is possible to get a private room, for an additional fee. Please contact the SFO staff for more information. Q2: Can I sign up for the trip even if I am not enrolled in field trips or enrolled in the course? A2: Lectures participants (from the current year's course) may sign up for the Montezuma trip, however there is an extra fee. As for the general public, we ask that you please contact the SFO staff as the date approaches, as we are not sure that there will be enough room to allow the general public (or SFO alumni) to attend - it will mostly depend on the availability of motel rooms. Please visit the Montezuma Trip web page for details, and to download the sign-up form/itinerary.
Q1: Regarding the NJ Trip, do I have to take the bus or can I drive separately? A1: Though we prefer that people ride the bus (just because it is easier to keep track of everyone that way), we do realize that there are special situations. If you need to drive separate, you would need to let us know, so that we could assist you regarding coordinating stops along the way. Q2: Do I have to stay at the motel? What if I want a private room? A2: Though we prefer that people stay at the same motel (again, because it is easier to keep track of everyone that way), we realize that there are special situations. If you need to stay somewhere else, you would need to let us know, so that we could assist you regarding our trip itinerary. Also, YES, it is possible to get a private room, for an additional fee. Please contact the SFO staff for more information. Q3: Can I sign up for the trip even if I am not enrolled in field trips or enrolled in the course? A3: Lectures participants (from the current year's course) may sign up for the NJ trip, however there is an extra fee. As for the general public, we ask that you please contact the SFO staff as the date approaches, as we are not sure that there will be enough room to allow the general public (or SFO alumni) to attend - it will mostly depend on the availability of seats on the bus. Please visit the New Jersey Trip web page for details, and to download the sign-up form/itinerary. Q: I have questions for the Lab that are non-course-related. Who should I contact? A: To contact the Lab with general questions regarding the Lab of Ornithology and its staff, you may use one of the following methods:
You may also want to try to research the answer to your questions via one of the web sites listed below: ALL ABOUT BIRDS (ACCESS IS FREE): http://www.birds.cornell.edu/programs/AllAboutBirds BIRDS OF NORTH AMERICA (ACCESS REQUIRES A FEE): http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/BNA ALSO, GOOGLE (SEARCH ENGINE - ACCESS IS FREE): http://www.google.com (type in key words) Q: Will the course ever be available online as an Internet-based course? A: At the present time our course is only available as a local course here in the Ithaca area. An online version of the lectures section (or extra information) may be available online in future years via eCornell. If sections of the course go online, we will announce the latest news on the main web site page for the course: Q: Do you know of any other courses that I can take? A: The Lab also offers a Home Study Course in Bird Biology at this time. It is a self-paced correspondence course with no deadlines. In addition, our Macaulay Library offers an annual Sound Recording Workshop, but the workshop is not a correspondence course, and you must travel to a specified location to participate. If you are looking for other (non-Lab) correspondence courses, we are aware of a couple other college-level Ornithology Courses and we are happy to share the following information with you:
There may be others, and the best way to find them is
to type a few keywords (such as "bird course" "bird home study course"
"bird education" or "ornithology course") into a search engine such as
http://www.google.com. Q: Can I pay for the course via partial payments, or through an installment plan? A: Unfortunately, we are unable to
offer a partial payment plan at this time. The Lab is a non-profit
organization, and our staff is too small to be able to offer/manage
such a plan. We apologize for any inconveniences. Q: I need to get a refund or withdraw from the course. How do I go about this? A: Please contact the SFO staff. It is will not always be
possible for us to issue a refund, especially if the course is underway
or arrangements for a special field trip have already been confirmed
(and the deadline for withdrawing has passed). Because of this, we will
need to make such decisions on a case-by-case basis. Q: Is there a scholarship fund available? If so, am I eligible, and how would I apply (or donate funds)? A: We do not have a scholarship fund
available for Spring Field Ornithology, however we are looking to
develop this for future years. If you have a special situation that you
would like to present to us, please feel free to contact the SFO staff. Q: Is there any type of course tuition assistance or financial aid available from Cornell or the Lab of Ornithology that I could apply for? A: Unfortunately, we are unable to
offer financial aid to students who are enrolled in our Spring Field
Ornithology course at this time. Q: I heard that you can get a virus from visiting a web site. Is this true? Could that happen when I visit the Lab's web site? A: First of all, we check our web site servers frequently for virus activity. But, if you want information on a particular virus or want to check out a potential hoax, here at Cornell we are given the following web site URL to check all "VIRUS ALERT" messages before passing them on. This is always a good idea, since at least 90% of them are fake. We are happy to share the information. Please feel free to share it with others: Q: I tried to access your web site, but something was not working properly. Is there a problem with the Lab's site? Is it down for maintenance? A: We appreciate people letting us know when our web site is generating errors and we do pass along any notices of potential web site problems to our webmaster. But, before you contact us, here are a few troubleshooting suggestions to try from your end. These suggestions come straight from the Lab's webmaster: First, be sure that you are using the correct URL for the web site, which is: Second, our web site works best if you are using the latest versions of Internet Explorer, Netscape, or Safari. If you do not have the most current versions of any of these browsers, you can probably download an update for free from the browser's home page. Third, if you've visited our page previously, try refreshing/reloading the page in question, as there may have been an update to it since you last visited. By refreshing/reloading the page, you will get the most recent version, and not a previous version that your browser had previously stored in memory for quicker access/loading on future visits. If you're still having problems, then it's either an error on our web site or an error generated by your provider or server. It could also be that we are in the process of updating a page at the same time that you are trying to access it. Another suggestion would be to try to load the page again at a later time/date and see if you are still getting the same error message. If so, please feel free to notify us. Q: I am going on vacation and want to do some birding. Can you help me find some local "hotspots?" A: Contact the American Birding Association, which has many birding publications focusing on different areas of the country.
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