The Cornell Lab of Ornithology is an exciting place to learn about birds. This summer I’ve been observing students of all ages learn new skills. I’ve seen them trap and put leg bands and transponders on chickadees, track Tree Swallows, take DNA samples from feathers, prepare specimens, lead bird walks, collect citizen-science data, and crunch all kinds of numbers to make new discoveries about birds. I’ve listened to students recount exciting adventures they’ve had in far-flung places from South America to Africa, and also right here in Sapsucker Woods. And I’ve listened to warm and inspiring stories about their relationships with mentors here at the Lab.

Bird study has a long history at the Cornell Lab. The Lab’s founder, Arthur “Doc” Allen, was the first professor of ornithology in the nation, and the education he provided extended far beyond the classroom, through public speaking, bird recordings, and his radio program.

In the past decade, hundreds of Cornell undergraduates have worked as Lab research or honors interns. Lab faculty teach Cornell courses via affiliations with academic departments, and serve as research mentors and advisors for graduate students. The Lab also supports a strong and growing cadre of postdoctoral scholars. And Lab programs reach students far beyond the university. Thousands of elementary-school students become engaged with birds via our Celebrate Urban Birds, BirdSleuth, and FeederWatch programs. Learners of all ages dig into our All About Birds website. Older students and adults enjoy our accessible and authoritative Home Study Course; more than 10,000 copies of the text, the Handbook of Bird Biology, have been sold since 2004. The Macaulay Library’s Sound Recording Workshop provides researchers, students, museum staff, and hobbyists with the skills to record natural sounds.

The Lab’s citizen-science projects provide vehicles for all of us to study birds. Our observations give researchers a vast body of data producing insights into issues from disease transmission to the effects of climate change on bird populations.

All these educational opportunities at the Lab are made possible by member support and our new capital campaign. The top priority of the campaign is to build an endowment to provide permanent annual support to train undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral students who will be the scientists and conservationists in schools and communities in the future. If you would like to contribute to this effort, please contact the Lab’s Development Department at 607-254-2420.

This issue of BirdScope focuses on students, their work, and the broad impacts the Lab’s traditional and nontraditional students have on the world. As in Doc Allen’s day, the Lab shares its abundant resources with students far beyond the borders of Sapsucker Woods.