Building a New Approach to Bird Education

1. Building a New Approach to Bird Education “Bird Conservation through Education”

2. About the Bird Education Network (BEN) Why Birds? Towards A National Strategy Get Involved Contact Us Jim Williams COMMON NIGHTHAWK “Bird Conservation through Education”

3. About the Bird Education Network 2001-2004 While planning the Flying WILD Curriculum Guide the Council for Environmental Education (CEE) recognized a clear need to identify and coordinate bird education resources CEE “Bird Conservation through Education”

4. BEN Background • Conservation Through Education: A National Gathering • Inaugural meeting held in Austin, Texas, in 2007 • Attended by over 150 participants from 106 organizations • Accepted formal resolution in support of bird education • Accepted formal resolution for developing a bird education Plan • Council for Environmental Education hosted a bird education working group meeting in Denver in 2007 Jim Williams AMERICAN KESTRAL “Bird Conservation through Education”

5. BEN Committee was formed in late 2007: • ~8 members serving one two-year term • Provide guidance on efforts of emerging Bird Education Network • Initial goal is to develop and coordinate a national strategy for bird education • BEN Committee is a standing committee for CEE Jim Williams BLACK-NECKED STILT “Bird Conservation through Education”

6. The Network • BEN supports dynamic education to advance bird conservation action • BEN is connecting bird educators at all levels to become more effective • Through our cumulative efforts and shared vision, we can promote a societal trend toward effective bird stewardship Kim Check NORTHERN CARDINAL “Bird Conservation through Education”

7. The Network • The creation of BEN provides educators working in the field of bird conservation with a variety of new tools and strategies they can employ to be more effective • BEN brings clarity and direction to the mission of bird education and bird conservation • At the heart of our bird conservation efforts is the goal of conserving and enhancing the environment for birds, wildlife in general, and for us, our children, and our grandchildren  Jim Williams SHORT-EARED OWL “Bird Conservation through Education”

8. Bird education programs that promote responsible, science-based action are highly desirable because: • Birds benefit when people take action to stem habitat loss and remove other barriers to healthy bird populations • Wildlife in general benefits because steps to protect birds and their habitats improve environmental conditions for a wide variety of plants and animals  • People benefit because an environment where birds can thrive is a healthy environment for humans Paul Baicich TEXAS BIRDING FESTIVAL “Bird Conservation through Education”

9. We know from research that three things are needed to produce an adult who is equipped and inclined to participate responsibly and effectively in bird conservation: • Early and repeated positive exposure to wildlife, birds, and natural areas • Knowledge about natural processes, management practices, and environmental problems and their causes • Empowerment and a belief in the ability to make a difference that can be gained through skill-building activities and experiences to address environmental problems Ken Keffer ROYAL TERNS “Bird Conservation through Education”

10. Why Birds? Birds are… • Beautiful • Accessible • Ever-present • Emblematic • International • Part of our Heritage • Popular! Jim Williams ROSEATE SPOONBILLS “Bird Conservation through Education”

11. We need a cohesive Bird Education Strategy outlining: • A common set of identified problems • A common set of prime target audiences • A common set of achievable goals • By adopting a national strategy bird educators will work towards a bird literate society while achieving conservation outcomes for birds Jim Williams REDHEAD Approaching a National Bird Education Strategy “Bird Conservation through Education”

12. Approaching a National Bird Education Strategy A draft National Education Strategy was prepared by the BEN Committee and is being reviewed and revised by a diverse panel of bird educators. The draft strategy is available online, and adoption and implementation of the strategy is set for 2010 “Ideally, our bird education strategy reminds bird educators where we have come from and helps indicate where we want to go, with a specific plan, the roadmap, to arrive at our desired destination” Ken Keffer OSPREY “Bird Conservation through Education”

13. BEN’s 5 Core Conservation Concerns • Habitat Loss Fragmentation, urbanization, etc. • Modern Industrial and Post-Industrial Life Collisions, pollutants, etc. • Insufficient Public Awareness A bird illiterate society • Insufficient Funding NGOs, Government, Research • Inter-American Concerns Beyond the migration connection HORSESHOE CRAB Kim Check SUMMER TANAGER PROTHONATARY WARBLER “Bird Conservation through Education”

14. BEN’s 6 Target Audiences • Students (mostly K-12) the future • Boomers (and other adults) the present • Communities of Diversity the under-served • Birdwatchers the interested • Hunters the reliable • Landowners the holders Kim Check BIRD BANDING “Bird Conservation through Education”

15. Build BEN as a primary resource for bird educators • Availability and adoption of “best practices” • Spread model programs (state, local, national) • Develop partnerships with professionals Jim Williams DUNLIN BEN’s 16 Goals “Bird Conservation through Education”

16. Engage in spreading the word about holistic bird education • Broaden the content of scientific meetings to include bird education • Maintain network communications through websites, listservs, newsletters, etc. • Identify, fund, and create needed bird education resources BEN’s 16 Goals Jim Williams BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER “Bird Conservation through Education”

17. Outline steps to maximize our reach in under-served minority populations • Initiate meetings, conferences, etc. to promote a Bird Education Strategy • Use a “National Gathering” to review and adjust strategic objectives - Second gathering held March 2009 at Jekyll Island, Georgia • Establish a series of recognition efforts and awards BEN’s 16 Goals Jim Williams SHARP-TAILED GROUSE “Bird Conservation through Education”

18. Influence the existing Bird Conservation Plans to develop “best practice” education tools • Influence the existing Migratory Bird Joint Ventures to include education and outreach • Get bird education to become a part of national certification for interpretive naturalists • Explore deeper connections with our hemispheric neighbors Kim Check BEN’s 16 Goals SANDHILL CRANES “Bird Conservation through Education”

19. BEN’s 7 Initial Priorities • Best Practices in Bird Education • Promoting Success Stories • Matching the Habitat Concerns with the Materials • Partners in Flight (PIF) Needs Assessment • Deeper Inter-American Connections • Model Efforts for Communities of Diversity • Funding Jim Williams LARK BUNTING “Bird Conservation through Education”

20. Get Involved • Join the BEN listserv • 500 participants and growing • > 300 organizations involved Kim Check “Bird Conservation through Education”

21. Get Involved BEN Website www.birdeducation.org “Bird Conservation through Education”

22. BEN Bulletin Launched June 2008 Sent +/- monthly Over 3,000 recipients Get Involved “Bird Conservation through Education”

23. Others ways to spread the word • BEN Committee • Banner • Materials • Meetings Get Involved “Bird Conservation through Education”

24. www.birdeducation.org Bird Education Network c/o Council for Environmental Education 5555 Morningside Drive (Suite 212) Houston, TX 77005 Join Us! “Bird Conservation through Education”