Alaska Bird Observatory Alaska Bird Observatory
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"I loved volunteering, learning more about bird identification and working with such great, FUN people. As the season progressed, I ...was very humbled every time I held a little bird in my hand that was about to fly a few thousand miles south. It was an awesome experience to hold a bird and think about its journey."
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ABO relies on nearly 100 volunteers each year to assist with a myriad of projects. If you would like to help with any of the following, please contact our office or complete a volunteer application and mail it to ABO, PO Box 80505, Fairbanks, AK 99708-0505. Creamer’s Field Bird-Banding Study
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CREAMER'S FIELD MIGRATION STATION VOLUNTEERS
We need volunteers who love the outdoors and wildlife to help at our Creamer’s Field Migration Station in Fairbanks! This bird-banding program allows us to monitor bird populations and learn more about the migration and ecology of Alaska’s birds. Volunteers are trained to open and close mist nets, identify birds, remove birds from nets and transport them to the banding lab, record data, release birds, mend nets, and clear vegetation from net lanes. Requirements Volunteers must be at least 15 years old, although we accept a limited number of youth into our “Junior Volunteer” program each year (please call for a JV application). Volunteers are needed between May 1 and September 30 for 7 to 8-hour shifts (beginning at 5:30 AM) or 4-hour half shifts (5:30 or 9:00 AM start times). Volunteers typically commit to one day/week, although we are grateful to those who can volunteer more or fewer days. We especially need volunteers during fall migration (August to mid-September), including on weekends. We can catch up to 300 birds in one morning! Volunteering at our banding stations entails brisk walking to check nets several times each morning. Volunteers should be in good physical shape, possess good eyesight and manual dexterity, and have tolerance for variable weather conditions and insect activity. Volunteers must provide their own field gear (rubber/hiking boots, rain gear, warm clothing), snacks, drinking water, and personal items. New volunteers are required to go through our orientation and training program and are asked to commit to at least five mornings their first year. This will help you become proficient at removing tangled birds in a safe and effective manner. Orientation dates for 2007 will be announced. Watch this website for details! To apply for a volunteer position with this program, please complete a volunteer application and mail it to ABO, PO Box 80505, Fairbanks, AK 99708-0505. For more information, contact birds@alaskabird.org or (907) 451-7159.
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| CITIZEN SCIENTISTS FOR RUSTY BLACKBIRD PROJECT NEEDED
Description: The Rusty Blackbird has suffered one of the steepest declines among North American songbirds in the past 50 years. To help unlock the mystery behind this decline, we are starting a research project on this imperiled species. We need between four and ten volunteers willing to visit ponds, lakes, and wetlands in the Fairbanks area in May to look for Rusty Blackbirds. Volunteers will then help search for and monitor nest throughout the breeding season, help ABO biologists capture, band, and collect a feather sample from adult birds, and help collect water quality data. We also hope to band nestlings if the nests are accessible. We are also looking for people to help conduct Rusty Blackbird surveys in the Tanana Flats during May. Do you have a pond near your house that you can check for us? Rusty Blackbirds are quite easy to identify! Some candidate wetlands we need searched include the Ducks Unlimited Ponds at Creamer's Refuge, Smith Lake, South Cushman Pond, several ponds in Goldstream Valley off of Ballaine Road, the area north of the fields at Creamer's Refuge, and the "Peat Pit" near Sheep Creek and Murphy Dome Roads. For more information, contact birds@alaskabird.org or (907) 451-7159. |
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OTHER VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
Help maintain and monitor swallow nest boxes in Fairbanks. We have over 100 boxes at Creamer's Refuge to check daily starting in late May. No special skill is necessary, just the ability to walk through lumpy farm fields! Migration Station set up (mid-April) – Help erect the weatherport, set up nets, and clear net lanes at Creamer’s Refuge. Trail repair projects at Creamer’s Refuge (early July through September). This would be a great Eagle Scout project! Go birding each week (hardship duty!) in a preassigned area to help ABO compile weekly spring birding reports for the Fairbanks area (April – May). Assist with special events, including international Migratory Bird Day, Saturday programs, open houses, Earth Day, and the Tanana Valley Sandhill Crane Festival (late August). Tasks vary and may include helping organize logistics, putting up fliers, staffing an information table or spotting scope, baking treats for visitors, or leading an activity or walk. Fundraising – One of our most important jobs! * Sell raffle tickets (December – March) * Lead a business team on a three-hour Birdathon (May) Board of Directors – we presently have openings for an Alaska Native Representative, an attorney, a member of the corporate community, and someone with fundraising skills Observing Black-capped Chickadees at our feeders, recording color band resightings, and band combinations of birds with deformed bills. Someone with a scanner is needed to scan some of our slides. Please contact us at 451-7159 or birds@alaskabird.org for more information.
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