Exploring Biodiversity & Change with eBird Workshop (Santa Cruz, CA)

Join the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Bird School Project for a professional development opportunity!

Dates:  Wednesday-Friday, June 28-30, 2023

Time: 9:00am – 4:30pm plus optional evening activities.

Location: UC Santa Cruz Arboretum & Botanic Garden, Santa Cruz, CA

Audience:  Teachers and nonformal educators who teach 6-12th grade students

During this fun, three-day learning experience, you’ll practice citizen science, spend time outdoors, learn more about birds and how to attract them to your schoolyard, and take field trips. Choose from either the 6-8 or 9-12 versions of eBird Explorers curriculum kit, and leave ready to use these hands-on materials in your classroom. Enjoy time exploring the beautiful UC-Santa Cruz Arboretum and connecting with other educators.

During this transformative experience, you will:

  • Enjoy bird walks in the UCSC Arboretum & Botanic Garden.
  • Receive your choice of either the 6-8 or 9-12 eBird Explorers curriculum kits. All kits include bird ID cards, posters, hands-on lessons, and unique grade-level resources. You’ll also take home a bird feeder. (Over $100 value)
  • Receive a free pair of NATURE DX 8X42MM Celestron binoculars ($170 value)!
  • Discover Cornell Lab’s free educational resources for 6th-12th grade teachers, including our online field guide, digital library, and citizen-science programs.
  • Explore how to build student science skills through outdoor learning and citizen science.
  • Practice collaboratively teaching the curriculum.

Who should attend?

We welcome 6-12th grade classroom educators, STEM coordinators, school media specialists, and instructional coaches looking for innovative ways to teach STEM content and develop science literacy at the middle and high school level. Non-formal educators that teach the same students multiple times (such as for library or after-school programming or summer camps) will also find the workshop useful.

Accessibility: The Cornell Lab K-12 team is dedicated to providing a harassment-free and discrimination-free experience at this workshop. We aim for professional development and educational exchange in the spirit of free discussion and expression in an environment in which diverse attendees may learn, network, and enjoy the company of colleagues. We are committed to providing an open and welcoming environment for all participants, including but not limited to race, color, creed, national origin, ancestry, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status, ability, socioeconomic status, age, religion, and veteran or military service status.

Detailed logistics and policies

To make the most of our time together, please complete the free eBird Essentials course prior to attending. The course takes approximately 3 hours to complete and will give you the fundamentals of eBird participation.

Workshop Dates:  June 28-30, 2023

Time:  9:00am – 4:30pm each day, Wednesday-Friday, plus optional evening activities.  Lunch and snacks will be provided all 3 days of the workshop.

Location: UC Santa Cruz Arboretum & Botanic Garden, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95064

Costs: We want this workshop to be accessible to all participants. Due to increased planning costs and the impact of cancellations, this workshop has a $90 reservation fee. However, if you attend all days of the workshop, your $90 fee will be automatically refunded to your credit card within 2 weeks. If you cancel your reservation less than 30 days before the workshop or do not show up to this workshop, we will be unable to refund this fee. If the upfront registration fee represents a burden that makes it impossible for you to attend, please reach out to us at K12Lab@cornell.edu.

Register today! You must register by May 26, 2023 at 11:59pm ET.

Register Now!

Cornell Lab Cancellation and COVID-19 Policy: We reserve the right to cancel this workshop up to 4 weeks prior to the workshop due to under-registration or unforeseen circumstances. If we cancel, you will receive a full refund. We are guided by Cornell University’s COVID policy. At this time, masks are welcome but not required.