Massachusetts Young Birders Club

Evan Dalton

Director, Manomet Observatory

Building connections with nature begins at a young age.

The global community of birders is diverse and growing incredibly fast, with people of all ages and backgrounds discovering birding in recent years. But often, younger birders feel alone in their hobby and wish to connect with their peers.

Some young people who have an untapped passion for birds and nature don’t have regular access to the outdoors or don’t have friends and mentors that can share knowledge and enthusiasm about birding. With a guiding principle of ‘birding is for everyone,’ the MYBC aims to provide a place for young people of all backgrounds to discover and share a new passion alongside a community of their peers. (Header image: Blackpoll Warbler. Credit: Ian Davies.)

Young birder participates in a Christmas Bird Count with the Massachusetts Young Birders Club. Credit: Justin Bresnahan.

Partners and Support

With Manomet as its parent organization, the MYBC’s mission is to create and empower a sustainable community of young birders, ages 12-20, in Massachusetts with the purpose of guiding youth in building their understanding and love of birds and nature.

The MYBC is currently partnered with the Eagle Eye Institute and the Holyoke Boys and Girls Club and is seeking to continue building authentic partnerships with a broad range of communities in Massachusetts.

Support for the MYBC comes from:

Our Partners

For the last 30 years, Eagle Eye Institute has been connecting youth from urban communities across Massachusetts with hands-on learning and leadership opportunities in the outdoors. Partnering with the Massachusetts Young Birders Club has allowed us to introduce youth in Holyoke to the knowledge and technical skills of birding, and create opportunities for students to experience curiosity, wonder, and excitement at discovering local wildlife.
Cass Pastorelle - Program Director for the Eagle Eye Institute

Goals

The MYBC’s coordinators aim to make birding safe and accessible for youth from all backgrounds in Massachusetts and create a friendly and inclusive environment for them to engage with each other and MYBC near-peer mentors. These goals will be achieved through:

Holding monthly events including bird walks and lectures with guest speakers, as well as virtual activities covering a wide range of interests relating to birds and birding;
Developing partnerships that will help raise awareness for the club and provide support to carry out its mission;
Maintaining an active online presence through their website and on social media to create a sense of community and provide tips and educational materials to deepen members’ connection with nature.

To learn more about the MYBC, visit their website www.massyoungbirders.org

Join the MYBC!

Do you know someone ages 12-20 who lives in Massachusetts and enjoys the outdoors? Tell them about the MYBC -- joining is easy!

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