Take your birding skills to a new level! The Birder's Certificate Program (BCP), offered annually by Mass Audubon since 2004, is a key component in our ongoing efforts to provide the finest educational programs to the birdwatching community. The BCP is equivalent to an undergraduate-level ornithology course.
Eleven monthly lectures and field sessions cover a wide range of subject matter, including avian systematics, biology, field identification, physiology, behavior, vocalization, ecology, and conservation. Student comprehension will be evaluated through homework assignments for each module. A twelfth module involves a volunteer service-learning project. Students who successfully complete the program will receive a certificate of achievement and a BCP binocular harness.
Course Goals:
Lectures will be held online using Microsoft Teams. You will receive the Microsoft Teams Link to log into the program in your confirmation. An email reminder will also be sent to you 48 hours before program start.
Field sessions associated with each module will be carried out primarily in Essex County on the Sunday morning following each lecture. Please note that dates are subject to change, due to weather and other circumstances.
SCHEDULE:
August 19, 9:00 am-1:00 pm / Online Lecture: Systematics and Nomenclature with Bill Gette
August 20, 8:00 am-12:00 pm / Field Session
September 9, 9:00 am-1:00 pm / Online Lecture: Evolution and Speciation with Martha Gach
September 10, 8:00 am-12:00 pm / Field Session
October 21, 9:00 am-1:00 pm / Online Lecture: Field Identification with Wayne Petersen
October 22, 8:00 am-12:00 pm / Field Session
November 18, 9:00 am-1:00 pm / Online Lecture: Anatomy and Physiology with David Moon
November 19, 9:00 am-1:00 pm / Field Session
December 9, 9:00 am-1:00 pm / Online Lecture: Feathers and Flight with Scott Santino
December 10, 9:00 am-1:00 pm / Field Session
January 20, 9:00 am-1:00 pm / Online Lecture: Feeding Ecology with Erica Holm
January 21: 9:00 am-1:00 pm/ Field Session
February 11, 9:00 am-1:00 pm / Online Lecture: Bird Conservation with TBD
February 12, 9:00 am-1:00 pm / Field Session
March 23, 9:00 am-1:00 pm / Online Lecture: Migration with Bill Gette
March 24, 8:00 am-12:00 pm / Field Session
April 13, 9:00 am-1:00 pm / Online Lecture: Avian Vocalization with Wayne Petersen
April 14, 8:00 am-12:00 pm / Field Session
May 18, 9:00 am-1:00 pm / Online Lecture: Breeding Behavior with Wayne Petersen
May 19, 8:00 am-12:00 pm / Field Session
June 8, 9:00 am-1:00 pm / Online Lecture: Field Ornithology with Sarah Courchesne
June 9, 8:00 am-12:00 pm / Field Session
Cancellation policy: A nonrefundable nontransferable $100 deposit due at time of registration. Balance due in full prior to first class August 19, 2023. Students have up to three years to complete course work. Refunds will not be made during the class year.
For more information, please go to www.massaudubon.org/birderscertificate
For more information or to register, contact Joppa Flats at 978-462-9998 or [email protected]