For the Birds! started in New York City in 1997 and has since spread to other cities throughout New York State. The main goal of For the Birds! is to get students excited about learning through hands-on discovery of the natural world that exists right in their own neighborhood. For the Birds! focuses on local birds and local habitats. This place-based learning encourages a sense of pride in one's own community. Gaining knowledge of the local environment empowers students to take an active interest in protecting it.
The program is taught by a team of Audubon staff and Audubon-trained volunteers who visit the students at their schools and lead them through lessons either inside their classrooms or outside directly in their school neighborhoods. The program culminates in a field trip to a local city park where students can apply their new bird knowledge and enthusiasm as they observe birds and bird behavior in a variety of natural habitats.
The For the Birds! Program:
- Provides fun, hands-on activities
- Gets students outside to explore nature
- Fosters science literacy, environmental awareness and a stewardship ethic
- Is easily integrated with many subject areas such as social studies, art, and writing
- Helps schoolteachers meet their curriculum requirements
- Involves adult volunteers in the schools and natural areas in their local communities
"In our class there are twenty one different student names. In the world there are 8,500 different bird names. Birds are named because of their looks, their color, what they do, where they were born, or who discovered them. Some are named for the way they sing and for friends and family. The black-capped chickadee is named after its black cap and the sound it makes." - Gabriela Hernandez, 4th Grade student
"Being able to work with and help children learn to see, appreciate and gain more knowledge about nature has been a wonderfully satisfying experience. Not only are the students more observant of the natural world, but their regular journal recordings about birds and their habitats have improved the children's overall attentiveness and writing skills. We make a difference. It is truly exhilarating!" - Gini Stowe, Volunteer
"My teachers and I have witnessed the time and effort that go into "For The Birds!" We are impressed with Audubon's grasp of both MST and ELA standards in the lessons they design. Parents have commented on the excitement with which their children describe the program." - Fran Rosenstein, Principal, PS 159
To see the For the Birds! program in action, click here to see footage from a field trip to Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx.
Click to see For the Birds! students improving bird habitat in Highbridge Park in Manhattan as part of a Toyota TogetherGreen Grant partnership between Audubon New York and New York Restoration Project.
For more information or to learn how you can volunteer, please contact:
Haley Main, Program Director, For the Birds!
225 Varick Street, NY, NY 10014