We'd like to thank everyone who traveled to Funk Bottoms WA and the Chestnut
Ridge Elementary School in Walnut Creek on Saturday and Sunday to take part
in the 2nd Annual Ohio Young Birders Club (OYBC) Conference.
This conference was a landmark event. To our knowledge, no other event has
ever brought this many young birders together at once. No wonder the
American Birding Association (ABA) sent its Education Manager, Steve Carbol, to the
Conference to take notes! We will be working closely with Steve and the
ABA to expand youth programs like the OYBC across the country! Yes indeed, Ohio
is setting a trend!
When you’re planning an event like this one, you do your best to bring in
really top-notch speakers. While planning last year’s first annual
conference, the adults on the planning committee were tossing out names like Kaufman,
Sibley, Howell, and Dunn as potential speakers. BUT -- our six member youth
advisory panel (another trend that we’re setting) gave us a total shock when,
one by one, they volunteered to give presentations. As a result, an event
like no other was born. While there are other organizations that offer
programs and activities specifically for young birders, we know of no other event
where all of the presentations are given by the young birders themselves!
While the conference title may have been misleading, this event was not just
for young people. In fact, roughly half of the 120+ participants would
fall into the “the young at heart” category. For those of us in that age brac
ket, the event was particularly inspiring and, for some, perhaps, a bit of an
eye-opener as well. We suspect that most adults attending did so in an
effort to show their support for young birders, out of a sense of curiosity, or,
let’s face it, to eat the Amish noodles served for lunch! But, one thing
we've learned while coordinating the OYBC, is that you should never
underestimate young people. Anyone who has spent time with kids, especially outdoors,
understands and appreciates their capacity to learn. But, by the end of the
presentations on Saturday afternoon, the entire audience came away with a
much greater awareness and appreciation for their capacity to teach as well.
To our speakers: Auriel Van Der Laar, 18; Bret McCarty, 15; Jared Merriman,
18; Jacob Bowman, 17; Brad Wilkinson, 17; Ethan Kistler, 18; and our keynote
speaker, Hope Batcheller, 16, from Rochester New York, thank you all for your
phenomenal presentations. To our Master of Ceremonies, Ben Thornton, 14,
and Lukas Padegimas, 15 1/2, who assisted with the photo ID quiz, thank you for
being brave and doing such a great job!
You have set the bar very high for next year's event!
This event would not have been possible without the support of our sponsors,
our partners, and the hard work and talents of many volunteers. We extend
our sincere gratitude to Jeff Bouton and Leica Sport Optics, Robert
Hershberger and Time & Optics LTD., Bill Thompson III and Bird Watcher's Digest, and
the Ohio Division of Wildlife, for leading the way with their generous support.
The conference was also made possible by a grant from the Ohio EPA's
Environmental Education Fund. An additional shout-out to our 21 partnering
organizations for their help in planning and promoting the event, and for helping
us reach young people across the state and getting them out into some of Ohio’
s fabulous wild places. For a complete list of our partners and conference
sponsors, visit _www.ohioyoungbirders.org_ (http://www.ohioyoungbirders.org) .
And finally, thank you to the Black Swamp Bird Observatory Board of
Directors, for believing in the value of this program!
If you missed this year's conference and would like to learn a bit more
about what it's all about -- check out Jim McCormac’s blog at _Click here: Ohio
Birds and Biodiversity_ (http://jimmccormac.blogspot.com/) visit the OYBC
website at _www.ohioyoungbirders.org_ (http://www.ohioyoungbirders.org/) and
watch for coverage of the event on an upcoming episode of Wild Ohio,
produced by the Ohio Division of Wildlife (ODOW).
Mark your calendars now for next year’s OYBC Conference on November 14 & 15.
Sincerely,
The Ohio Young Birders Club Team --
Kim & Kenn Kaufman
Delores Cole
John Sawvel
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