submitted by Pat Leonard at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
Petersburgh native Hope Batcheller is one of the Cornell University students competing in the annual World Series of Birding coming up May 10 in New Jersey. The Cornell Lab is hosting three student teams this year – collectively known as The Redheads.
Batcheller is a member of the team that will be birding the entire state of New Jersey in an effort to tally the greatest number of bird species over a manic 24 hour period. This is about much more than bragging rights, though. The team is also raising money to support undergraduate research in bird studies and conservation.
For the first time, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology is hosting 15 students on three birding teams, competing in three divisions at the World Series of Birding in Cape May, New Jersey, on May 10. This triple threat of ace birders will attempt to top all other competitors by identifying the greatest number of bird species by sight or sound in a midnight-to-midnight birding blitz. Their ultimate goal is to raise $25,000, that will be matched by a donor and earmarked for support of undergraduate research in ornithology and conservation.
During this so-called “Big Day” one Redheads squad will bird the entire state of New Jersey, another will scour the length and breadth of Cape May County and the third will participate in the “Big Stay” category, tallying their birds from a single location within a 17 foot radius.
Past Cornell Lab student teams have been highly success-ful in the Cape May County division, earning first or second place every year since they began competing in 2007 and earning more than $100,000 in donations for The Redheads Fund.