Reflections on the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Educator Retreat

Emalee Owens, July 2026

In July, I had the opportunity to attend the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's Educator Retreat in Ithaca, New York. You might recognize the Cornell Lab from the eBird database or the Merlin Bird ID app. Educators from across the country applied, and the Lab selected 27 participants, with travel and lodging funded through the generosity of donors.

Each morning in my kindergarten classroom, my students arrive to the sights and sounds of the Cornell Lab's FeederWatch Cam in Sapsucker Woods. You might be wondering, "Why would Cornell invite a kindergarten teacher to an educator retreat?" I'll come back to that question at the end.

One thing that surprised me was learning that the Cornell Lab of Ornithology is funded primarily through philanthropy. More than 300 staff members work at the nonprofit lab, and about 75% of its funding comes from donors rather than Cornell University itself. The remaining support comes from grants, endowments, and earned income.

While I was at the lab, we were treated to early morning birding at a local park and on the trails in Sapsucker Woods, the location of the lab. The Lab gave each educator Celestron binoculars and instruction on how to use them effectively.  Prior to attending, each educator completed an eBird training course. During the retreat, we conducted bird surveys and submitted our observations to eBird, contributing to one of the world's largest community science databases.

(photo from Marilú Lopez-Fretts)

Unsurprisingly, one of my favorite presentations focused on the importance of native plants in supporting birds. Becca Rodomsky-Bish, project leader for Garden for Birds, shared before-and-after examples of landscapes transformed with native plants alongside eBird data showing increases in bird diversity. Even small container gardens planted with natives made a measurable difference. It was an encouraging reminder that anyone, whether they garden on acres or a small patio, can create valuable habitat.

photo by Emalee Owens)

Later on in the week, we heard from a post doctoral student who was working on pairing NOAA weather radar data with eBird reports to track and predict migratory bird movement and making this data available to anyone using Bird Flow and Bird Cast.  Why does this matter? Because many birds migrate under the cover of darkness, artificial lighting can disorient them. Forecasts from BirdCast can help communities know when migration is heavy, allowing us to reduce unnecessary outdoor lighting and lessen risks such as window strikes.

We were lucky enough to get a behind the scenes tour of the Macaulay Library, the largest and oldest archive of wildlife audio, video, and photographs.  We also got to go behind the scenes in the Cornell University Museum of Vertebrates with a massive collection of birds, mammals, fish, amphibians, and reptiles.  It was full of cabinets of shelves with specimens that are used by scientists and students for research.  One highlight was seeing specimens of two extinct birds, the Passenger Pigeon and the Carolina Parakeet. Standing just inches away from them was a powerful reminder of what can be lost.

(photos by Emalee Owens)

Walking the trails of Sapsucker Woods with naturalists was another highlight. I found familiar native plants, including ghost pipe, mayapple, and jack-in-the-pulpit. We practiced nature journaling, shared outdoor teaching strategies, and spent time simply observing. It was a reminder that slowing down is often the first step toward noticing, and ultimately caring for, the natural world.

(photo from Marilú Lopez-Fretts)

So why invite a kindergarten teacher to an ornithology retreat? Because today's students are tomorrow's stewards. Long before children can identify every bird or native plant, they can learn to notice, wonder, and care. Those early experiences build the foundation for lifelong conservation.  

Conservationist Baba Dioum famously said,

"In the end we will conserve only what we love; we will love only what we understand; and we will understand only what we are taught."

That quote captures exactly why I value the mission of the Central Rappahannock Chapter of the Virginia Native Plant Society: Know. Grow. Protect.