Black Swamp Bird Observatory is planning the 6th annual Ohio Young Birders Conference. Set for Saturday, November 3rd, and hosted by Aullwood Audubon Farm Discovery Center in Dayton, this event has been called "the most inspiring event in conservation." All of the presentations are given by young people, but the event is NOT just for kids. Every year, more than 100 people attend and at least half of the audience is adults. And trust me, you will definitely learn from these student presentations! This year's keynote speaker is Benjamin Van Doren from White Plains, NY. Benjamin will be a freshman this fall at Cornell University, and he is already an accomplished researcher and author in bird studies. In March 2012 - Benjamin placed fifth at the Intel Science Talent Search. From more than 1,800 applicants in Intel Science Talent Search 2012, 40 high school seniors were selected as finalists and invited to Washington, D.C., to present original research to esteemed judges and showcase their work. His project investigated the behavior of nocturnal migratory birds, called "morning flight," considering implications for the growing wind power industry. His work has been published in North American Birds. Last year, one of our conference speakers was Lukas Padegimas. Lukas gave a fantastic presentation on his experiences working as a research technician in Alaska. His presentation was so dynamic that the President of OOS invited him to give it at their shorebird event this fall! (Yes, the presentations these young people give are THAT good!) The event has broad support from Ohio's birding community, and for that we are truly grateful. With this kind of support, the Ohio Young Birders Conference is just $10 for students and $20 for adults and includes a field trip, songbird banding, student presentations and posters, and a great lunch. Visit the OYBC website for more details. http://ohioyoungbirders.org/news/2012conferencedate.htm Good Birding! Kimberly Kaufman Executive Director Black Swamp Bird Observatory Oak Harbor, Ohio 43449 419-898-4070 ______________________________________________________________________ Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society. Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list. Additional discussions can be found in our forums, at www.ohiobirds.org/forum/. You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]