Connecticut Land Conservation Conference

Finding volunteers to conduct field work on birds, and then ensuring the data submitted is accurate, can be a challenge for many land trusts. However, avian data is critical in helping to manage preserves for different species; in securing funding to purchase key conservation parcels; and when applying for various grants. Forming a partnership with a local school and/or the creation of internship programs can help fill the gap in data collection. Using a decades-long partnership between The Marvelwood School and Kent Land Trust as a model, learn how high school students used an array of tools to enhance their confidence in identifying and documenting birds utilizing land trust preserves and beyond. The data students collected helped in the designation of the Macedonia Forest Block Important Bird Area and has been utilized in the state’s Natural Diversity DataBase (NDDB) and recent CT Bird Atlas Project.