Access My Benefits

Green Jay by John Missing / Macaulay Library

Thank you for being generous and dedicated leaders who enable the Cornell Lab of Ornithology to continue its international leadership in scientific discovery, education, citizen science, and conservation.

The true benefits of membership in the Chairman’s Council come from the broad impact of work at the Cornell Lab, made possible with your help. As you know, we feature an impact statement each month in our eNewsletter and there is a section on this website devoted to impact stories. In addition, we create an annual Impact Report  with stories and images from around the Lab. I hope you enjoy the 2019 Impact Report. However, Chairman’s Council members also receive exclusive benefits and special opportunities for engagement.

Each year, you are invited on first-class birding trips with other Council members, Administrative Board members, and Cornell Lab director Ian Owens. Past trips include a visit to the Sorrel River Ranch in Moab, Utah, to visit the lekking grounds of the imperiled Gunnison Sage-Grouse. For a full list of Chairman’s Council trips, please visit the Past Chairman’s Council Trips page.

Chairman’s Council trip to Pico Bonito Lodge, Honduras 2011.

Member Benefits

  • An invitation to exclusive biannual Chairman’s Council birding trips with the Lab’s executive director and other Cornell Lab leaders
  • An invitation to a Weekend at Sapsucker Woods, a three-day exclusive getaway at Sapsucker Woods filled with birder training, field trips, and special activities
  • An invitation to a birding eco-tour at Little St. Simon’s Island, Georgia, led by Lab experts
  • Priority invites to the above and all other Golden-Wing Society trips and events
  • Invitations to special online events and future events in your area. You can also view our past webinars here on this site under the “Archive” tab
  • Access to Lab speakers for your own events
  • Direct access to Lab faculty, staff, and student scientists
  • Insider access to innovative research findings from the Lab’s top-notch faculty, staff, and student scientists
  • Access to Birds of the World (BOW webinar tutorial)
  • A private behind-the-scenes tour for you and up to six guests at the Lab’s headquarters in beautiful Sapsucker Woods
  • First to receive the quarterly issues of Living Bird
  • Complimentary access to a Bird Academy course of your choice—the Cornell Lab’s acclaimed educational program for lifelong learners

Upcoming Events & Trips

Birds of the World Webinar Schedule

Bird Academy Live Open Lectures Schedule and Past Events

Birds of the World Webinar Recordings

2025 Chairman’s Council Trips

November 19 – 23, 2025 San Diego, CA

2025 Additional Trips

October 9-15, 2025 Golden-wing Society Trip to Cape Cod and Rhode Island

October 16 – 22, 2025 Golden-wing Society Trip to Cape Cod and Rhode Island

November 11 – 24, 2025 Cornell University Trip: The Best of New Zealand by Sea with Amanda D. Rodewald, the Garvin Professor, Natural Resources and the Environment, and Senior Director of the Center for Avian Population Studies a the The Cornell Lab of Ornithology

2025 Events

October 16, 2025 5:30 p.m. Mundinger Lectureship featuring Mike Webster

2026 Chairman’s Council Trips

February 5 – 15, 2026 Amazon River Cruise

March 7 – 25, 2026 Uganda

October 4 – 8, 2026 Cibolo Creek

2026 Additional Trips

March 17, 2026 Golden-wing Society Trip to Nebraska

September 7, 2026 Golden-wing Society Trip to Washington

2026 Events

June 11 – 13, 2026 Weekend at Sapsucker Woods