Santa Clara Valley Bird Alliance

Education and Outreach The Wetlands Discovery Program has been inspiring young minds to become more involved in conservation since 1988. We aim to show students, grades 3-5, the value of wetlands and how they support the birds and other wildlife that inhabit them. By giving students practical hands-on experience with these concepts, we hope to encourage them to consider the impact they are having on the earth, and to determine ways that they can make a difference. Key conservation concepts are first covered through materials that are provided to schoolteachers by SCVBA. SCVBA docents then visit the schools to reinforce these concepts by helping students work through activity stations that cover environmental topics ranging from bird adaptations and migration, to human impact and ecosystem interactions. Students are also trained to use binoculars in preparation for the field trip. On the day of the trip, docents lead students on a nature walk around local baylands and challenge them to apply their newfound knowledge. This experience allows students to see and understand how the concepts they have learned play out in the real world. We have also found through student evaluations that most have never been bird watching or visited a wetland prior to our program. After the program's completion, an overwhelming majority of students show an interest in bird watching at the wetlands again. Though we continue to receive positive feedback on this program, we regularly use student and teacher feedback to evaluate our curriculum and make changes to increase its effectiveness. Beyond the Wetlands Discovery Program, we offer several other education programs that are targeted towards both adults and families. These include beginning bird identification by sight and sound, nest box building workshops to create bird habitat, owl pellet dissections, community science activities, and customized programs on local birds and bird adaptations. We are proud to offer a variety of education programs to promote the enjoyment, understanding, and protection of birds and other wildlife, to audiences of all ages and backgrounds. Currently we are initiating a new set of school programs with walkable field trips, allowing us to take classes on trips to wildlife habitat while circumnavigating the issue of bus funding. PUBLIC FIELD TRIPS: SCVBA considers the field trips we offer to be an equally important part of our education program. Open to members and to the public, our carefully selected itinerary of destinations, seasonal planning, and experienced field trip leaders ensure attendees leave each trip having had a learning experience. From bird behavior, vocalizations, migration, anatomy, and obviously identification, the trips are not merely show-and-tell, but observe-and-understand. The firsthand experience of seeing local birdlife in all its variety is an experience of a lifetime-one that can be had not just once, but several dozen times a year. We strive to make that available to everyone who wishes to spend a few hours with us, and care about and appreciate our birds. These virtual offerings include an extensive library of "self-guided field trips" covering more than 100 locations in Santa Clara County, an online speaker series featuring artists, authors, and scientists, as well as a growing library of educational content on Youtube. We are continuing to build and support the Oak Savannah Citizen Science Project, inviting high school volunteers and nature-oriented clubs programs in the Coyote Valley. We continue to broaden our outreach efforts with Mandarin Language walks, LGBTQ+ and Women's Walks-all programs that encourage inclusivity and building an accepting community.

Membership Benefits SCVBA reaches out to the public to promote the enjoyment, understanding, and protection of birds and other wildlife by engaging people of all ages in birding, education, and conservation. We provide a free Speaker Series featuring notable environmental personalities. We lead free birding field trips lead by volunteers, host classes on birding, wildlife illustration, photography and other related activities. We have a vibrant online presence including a freshly redesigned website, Facebook, and Instagram social media and we host a collection of educational videos on our new YouTube channel. Since 1929, SCVBA has published its member newsletter on a regular schedule. The "Avocet" was transitioned from bimonthly to a quarterly schedule, roughly corresponding to the seasonal movement of birds. The change meant more content per issue, increased page count, and a need for new and improved versatile design. The Avocet is now available online. Additionally, monthly updates are produced and emailed directly to members. The cost of newsletter publication, web hosting, teleconferencing, instructional materials and other expenses are supported through membership dues.