Describing the Lab
When we talk about ourselves we aim to share our mission in ways that help everyone feel welcome. We put science and people first. We avoid sounding condescending, elitist, or inconsiderate.
About the Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Mission Statement
Use verbatim, without changes
Our mission statement communicates the Lab’s purpose, objectives, and how we serve our audiences. It’s action-oriented, and tells the world what we do and the impact we strive to make.
The mission of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology is to interpret and conserve the earth’s biological diversity through research, education, and citizen science focused on birds.
How we work
In pursuit of understanding and conserving birds and the earth’s biodiversity, we create cutting-edge technology, harness big data, and work with partners, contributors, and communities around the globe.
Boilerplate Language
Boilerplate language gives a detailed description of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology for presenting to a range of internal and external audiences. This language does NOT need to be used verbatim, but is a starting place with freedom to adapt as needed. Use case examples: job postings, presentations, etc.
The Cornell Lab of Ornithology is a nonprofit, member-supported organization dedicated to the understanding and protection of birds, wildlife, and our shared planet through research, education, participatory science, and conservation. We join with people from all backgrounds and abilities to make new scientific discoveries, share insights, and foster conservation action.
Founded in 1915 and located in Sapsucker Woods Sanctuary in Ithaca, New York, the Lab is a vibrant unit of Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. We offer the resources of a world-class university combined with the impact of an innovative nonprofit organization supported by more than 100,000 members and donors. Our collaborative relationship with the broader Cornell community allows us to tackle the big challenges for science and society, and to translate cutting-edge science, technology and storytelling into real-world impact. Our online resources allow millions of people around the globe to deepen their connection with the natural world.
Our faculty and staff are committed to the highest standards of ethics and excellence in all areas of our work. We are committed to fostering a healthy workplace that values diverse perspectives, backgrounds, and abilities as well as supporting growth and advancement opportunities. We welcome people who are committed to lifetime learning and who are motivated to take on new challenges.
Short Descriptions of the Lab
We use the following phrases to provide a short distillation of what we do. These (and variations) may be used on websites, in emails, and in print:
- Exploring and conserving nature (in header of emails)
- Together, let’s embark on a lifelong journey to enjoy, understand, and protect birds and the natural world
- We believe in the power of nature to ignite discovery and inspire action
- We use science to understand the world, to find new ways to make conservation work, and to involve people who share our passion
- Dedicated to advancing the understanding and protection of the natural world, the Cornell Lab joins with people from all walks of life to make new scientific discoveries, share insights, and galvanize conservation action
When to Use “Bend the Curve”
One tagline-like phrase often heard around the Lab is “Bending the curve for birds and biodiversity—turning steep declines into a steady rise.” While useful internally, this language is not recommended as a tagline for external audiences. It draws on a specific graphical representation of bird population trajectories, and many audience members may be unfamiliar with the reference or find the phrasing hard to understand.
How to Refer to the Cornell Lab
When to Shorten the Cornell Lab’s Name
- In print articles and press releases, write the “Cornell Lab of Ornithology” at first mention in text. After this, write the “Cornell Lab” or “the Lab.” In social media, it’s acceptable to use “Cornell Lab” at first mention
- Never refer to the Lab as “CLO”, “Lab of O”, or “Laboratory of Ornithology”
- If writing for a Cornell University publication, the abbreviation should be “Lab of Ornithology” or “lab” but not “Cornell Lab” or “Lab”
- When the Cornell Lab is named in writing do not capitalize the “t” in “the” unless it’s the first word of a sentence
Writing About the Cornell Lab’s Centers, Programs, and Projects
Always indicate that a center is part of the Cornell Lab.
Example: “This extraordinary photograph is part of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Macaulay Library.”
Always indicate that a project or program is a part of the Cornell Lab. In general, the center does not have to be named in conjunction with a project or program, except in the case of K. Lisa Yang Center for Conservation Bioacoustics (see next item).
Example: “This collaboration between members in the bird conservation community was facilitated by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Land Trust Bird Conservation Initiative.”
When referring to projects that are operated by the K. Lisa Yang Center for Conservation Bioacoustics, indicate the center’s affiliation to the Cornell Lab, rather than the program’s.
Example: “These incredible recordings were captured by the Elephant Listening Project, part of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s K. Lisa Yang Center for Conservation Bioacoustics.”
For a jointly run project, affiliation is not always necessary, but if naming one partner, name them all.
In cases where listing partnership organizations disrupts the flow of the written content (for example when multiple Lab partnership projects are mentioned in succession), a Partnership Statement at the end of the article is preferable.
For additional guidance, see the Partnerships section of this website.
- Birders can use BirdCast, a project run by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology along with Colorado State University and the University of Massachusetts Amherst, to see nighttime bird migration in real time.
- Participants in the Great Backyard Bird Count use the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s eBird to share what birds they observe.
- FeederWatch is a partnership of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Birds Canada.
- The Great Backyard Bird Count is managed by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Audubon, and Birds Canada, with partners from around the world.
- BirdNET is a project of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Chemnitz University of Technology.
- BirdCast (University of Massachusetts Amherst; Colorado State University)
- BirdNET (Chemnitz University of Technology, Germany)
- Project FeederWatch (Birds Canada)
- Great Backyard Bird Count (Audubon; Birds Canada)
Writing About Our History
For more information about the history of the Lab see a brief history on our homepage. For a more detailed look at our 100-plus year history see this article from the centennial issue of Living Bird.