Now Accepting Camper Applications for Michigan Young Birders Camp

Calling all young birders and budding naturalists! 

Michigan Audubon is recruiting middle and high school students to join the week-long Michigan Young Birders Camp (MYBC) taking place June 21–26, 2020. Students will practice and improve their bird identification skills, learn about ecology and conservation, and build friendships and connections with other nature lovers in their peer group from around the state. This overnight camp will be based at the Alma College campus and will involve day trips to several sites in mid-Michigan. Students of all skill levels of bird identification are encouraged to apply. 

With the use of technology on the rise in youth, coupled with a decline in exposure to the outdoors, programs such as the MYBC are invaluable for fostering and maintaining a desire to protect the natural world. “Michigan Audubon is fostering an informed connection to the natural world with this birding immersion camp,” said Executive Director Heather Good. “This collaborative effort gives adolescents memorable, experiential learning about native ecologies, habitats, birds, wildlife — knowledge that will likely stay with them for life.” Facilitated by a passionate group of volunteer leaders and camp counselors resulting in ample one-on-one guidance, MYBC 2020 helps students understand the environment around them while gaining fun and unforgettable skills and experiences. 

Without direct experiences in nature, research findings suggest that children are missing opportunities to enhance their health and well-being, and to develop responsible long-term environmental behavior. “Time in nature is not leisure time; it’s an essential investment in our children’s health and in the future of our planet,” Good said.

The week will begin with activities and an overview of birding basics and etiquette, and will continue with several exciting field trips to various nature centers and venues, including the renowned, Smithsonian-affiliated museum at Michigan State University to experience its elaborate avian specimen collection. 

The MYBC is supported through partnerships with Alma College and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The cost of the camp is $500 per student, which includes lodging, food, and supplies. Scholarships are available based on need and availability. For those interested in attending MYBC 2020, please contact Lindsay Cain at lcain@michiganaudubon.org or call (517) 580-7364. You can also find more information about camp at www.michiganaudubon.org/learn/young-birders/.

 

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Camp Application Links

— To apply for camp, please click here.

— To apply for a scholarship, click here.

Show Your Support for MYBC 2020

— Make a general donation toward the MYBC program. We still have more than $2,000 to go to help us cover the cost of camp and your support is vital.

— Contribute to the scholarship fund and help ensure camp costs don’t deter any young birders from partaking in this great opportunity.

— Be an official sponsor of MYBC.