Celebrate Urban Birds eNewsletter - Sept 2011

Click here if you're not seeing a formatted message and photos.
Celebrate Urban Birds eNewsletter
September 2011 American Goldfinches go beak-to-beak. Photo by Cheryl Sotelo Close Encounters of the Bird Kind Join our newest challenge! Have you noticed birds interacting with other birds, people, animals, or things? Watch a House Sparrow trying to get your sandwich at the park, a crow teasing your dog, hummingbirds fighting over a flower, a chickadee watching you as you fill your feeders. Enter by Nov 15, 2011. Tell a story! Take a photo, create some artwork, shoot video, write a story or a poem, or create a sculpture. Just show birds interacting in fun, interesting, or captivating ways with others. Prizes include binoculars, bird feeders, sound CDs, books, and much more. We'll send the first 50 entrants a copy of our "Doves and Pigeons" poster by Julie Zickefoose. Selected entries will be featured in the 2012 Celebrate Urban Birds calendar! 2012 Calendar With Challenge Participant Photos The Celebrate Urban Birds 2012 calendar is coming and you can pre-order now. This calendar is all about YOU! We chose more than 100 images from people of all ages--images that are funny, sweet, unusual, and downright gorgeous.You'll see fascinating bird behaviors and nests built in all sorts of wild, out-of-the-way places. Paintings and drawings showcase creativity inspired by birds. As a Celebrate Urban Birds participant, you may wish to have one of these calendars for yourself, or give one as a gift. Each calendar costs $15 and the money raised goes right back into the Celebrate Urban Birds project. Get yours! Order securely online or call 800-843-2473 toll-free. If you have any questions, let us know: urbanbirds@cornell.edu.     Intergenerational birding and gardening activities were held by mini-grant recipient Luther Manor in Wisconsin. Photo courtesy Emily Kort Mini-Grant Applications Accepted October 15-Dec 15 This year we will be accepting applications starting on October 15 so that organizations can receive their funds earlier. We will announce winners on January 15. Learn more about how to apply. We  are especially interested in awarding mini-grants to youth in underserved areas. If you know a young person who might be interested please let them know! The requirements are easy: 1. Focus on birds. 2. Create/improve bird-friendly habitat. 3. Do something artistic. 4. Watch birds and send us your observations.   To qualify for a mini-grant you must:      * Hold a Celebrate Urban Birds event in 2012     * Introduce the public/youth to birds     *  Do the 10-minute Celebrate Urban Birds observation at your event and  report back to the Cornell Lab.    * Distribute Celebrate Urban Birds kits (with posters, seeds for planting, and more)     * Integrate the arts     * Integrate gardening/habitat creation     * Get people outside Please check out this year's winners See featured 2011 events     Thanks for participating in Celebrate Urban Birds! The Cornell Lab of Ornithology is a membership institution dedicated to interpreting and conserving the earth's biological diversity through research, education, and citizen science focused on birds. Visit the Cornell Lab's web site at http://www.birds.cornell.edu. Cornell Lab of Ornithology 159 Sapsucker Woods Rd, Ithaca NY 14850 Questions or Comments? Call us toll-free at (800) 843-BIRD (2473) Privacy Policy Unsubscribe	New Focal Species Videos American Robin by Lynne Marsho Check out some of the new videos we have highlighting the Celebrate Urban Birds focal species. Scroll to the bottom of each page.  American Robin  (English) American Robin (Spanish)  Mourning Dove by Lew Sharpf Mourning Dove  (English) Mourning Dove (Spanish)  Thanks, Kaytee! Thank you to Kaytee for providing feeders to so many of our participating organizations, mini-grant winners, and applicants. The feeders have been enormously appreciated at events throughout the U.S. Facebook Check in with the Celebrate Urban Birds project via Facebook and Twitter. We have new postings in English and Spanish daily. Participate in fun quizzes, learn about exciting opportunities (webinars, workshops, mini-grants, seasonal challenges), see participant photos, ask questions, share  your photos and stories, and more. Actualizaciones en Español ¿Quieres recibir actualizaciones  en Español? Déjanos saber si tú tienes interés en recibir información acerca de concursos, mini-becas, y programas de ciencia participativa, ideas, recursos educacionales, noticias, y más. Este mes comenzaremos a enviar un boletín especial diseñado específicamente para nuestros participantes de habla española. Déjanos saber si tu lo quieres recibir. Queremos tus ideas. Escríbeme a kap7@cornell.edu.