Michigan Young Birders Camp
June 22–27, 2025
Michigan Audubon is proud to present the eighth annual Michigan Young Birders Camp (MYBC), a week-long adventure designed for young birding enthusiasts aged 13–18! This exciting camp will be held June 22–27, 2025, at Alma College and will immerse participants in Michigan’s diverse birding habitats and conservation efforts.
What to Expect:
- Exploration: Visit a variety of habitats and Important Bird Areas across Michigan.
- Learning: Enhance your bird identification skills and delve into key bird conservation topics.
- Inspiration: Hear from expert guest speakers on bird-related subjects.
- Connection: Build friendships with like-minded birders while having fun!
Camp Details:
- Dates: June 22–27, 2025
- Location: Alma College, Alma, Michigan
- Cost: $750 per camper
- Includes lodging, meals, transportation during camp, materials, and camper swag.
- Scholarships: A limited number of need-based scholarships are available.
Application Information:
- Application Period: Opens at 9 a.m. on Friday, December 13, 2024, and closes at 9 a.m. on Saturday, March 8, 2025.
- Notification: Applicants will be informed of their status by the end of March.
- No payment is required to apply.
Spaces are limited to just 12 campers, so don’t miss this incredible opportunity to grow as a birder and conservationist!
How to Apply:
Applications will be submitted through an online form (link below).
For questions, please contact Lindsay Cain at [email protected] or 517-580-7364.
Join us for an unforgettable birding experience!
I loved camp and never thought that I would meet other friends that loved and knew about birds like me! I thought going out into the field was very educational and made me feel like a biologist. I would participate in this camp again!
I learned a lot, had fun, and made new friends!! So hard to pick a favorite thing but I liked learning about banding and doing hands on set-up and handling birds, I also loved the raptor rehab center and hearing the director of Michigan Audubon. My favorite educational speaker was the raptor presentation! I learned so many useful things about raptors and raptor ID that I didn’t know!
My favorite experience was going up to Grayling and seeing the Kirtland’s Warbler, a bird that mainly breeds in Michigan. We got great views and that was amazing. Another great experience was going to Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge and seeing Black Terns flying right above me. The Black Tern was a bird I had been trying to see for a while and finally seeing them was unbelievable.
This camp was definitely the highlight of my summer! Having the opportunity to meet new people just like me and share my experiences with kids my age was so exciting and astonishing! Before I applied for the camp, I had the thought that there was no one out there my age who enjoyed birds as much as I do, and it turned out that there was a whole group of extraordinary individuals. My favorite part of the camp was sharing my skills and knowledge among the campers and learning loads of new information about birds. Knowing that I was going to be a part of a new and fresh program, I had faith that everything was going to run smoothly, and it did! Overall, it was one of the most fun and exciting activities of my life. It’ll definitely be a memory I won’t forget.
My favorite experiences at camp were when I realized that everyone there was like me, and every person there knew so much and loved to share. At camp I could be myself and talk as much about birds as I wanted, and I met so many people who were kind, and included me in a way that I felt like close friends would do. I also learned so much about why conserving birds is important, and the experience was incredible. Holding wild birds and getting the chance to learn different ways to identify them was so cool. I will definitely go next year! (Update: She did!)
Camp was definitely my favorite part of my summer. I loved learning new things and getting a better idea of what conservation work looks like. Although maybe getting up at 4:30 a.m. wasn’t a ton of fun at the time, now I look back with fondness at the experience. I also met a lot of interesting people, some of whom I still talk to now!
The camp was an amazing experience, where I not only got to have fun with birding and related activities, but met so many awesome people. Before the camp I barely knew any young birders, or even people my age interested in the natural world, but now I do. It’s definitely worth it, even if you’re not sure at first whether it’s for you.
Your support is needed!
Through experiences that develop expertise in avian natural history, native ecology, conservation values, and special topics in ornithology, camp participants gain a rich foundation on which to successfully nurture their passion for the natural world while fostering lasting relationships with their peers and mentors in conservation and birding.
We rely on the support of generous sponsors like you to help fund these education programs, including the Michigan Young Birders Camp (MYBC). Your gift supports our camp, yes, but it also directly supports these kids who are looking forward to a bird-driven, once-in-a-lifetime learning experience this summer! Your sponsorship gift will go entirely to both ensuring as many students are offered full scholarships as possible as well as providing equipment, software, curriculum resources, and materials for our campers to have a fully supported, positive experience.
You can donate directly to MYBC here to help us reach our goal of $15,000 for each camp.
On behalf of birds and the kids this camp aims to serve, thank you so very much for your support!