Bird Banding Orientation and Refresher (2 Days)
Would you like to be involved in wildlife research? Have you ever wanted to see a wild bird up close? If you answered yes, then this program is for you! Bird banding is an important research technique that helps scientists study the health, longevity and population dynamics of wild birds which informs conservation decisions. Common banding methodology includes humanely capturing birds, placing a lightweight “bracelet” with a unique number ID on their leg, documenting observations (e.g. breeding condition, age, sex) and taking measurements (e.g. wing/tail length, weight). If you are new to bird banding, attend this orientation to learn what bird banding is and how you can get involved in projects at Riveredge.
This 2-day orientation involves an indoor classroom day and an outdoor banding demonstration day. Returning volunteers (those that regularly attend any of the bird banding efforts at Riveredge) are encouraged to attend this orientation as a refresher.
Recommended for new banding volunteers; One-time fee: $30 (members), $40 (non-members)
FREE for returning banding volunteers. Make sure to create an account using your email we have on file to get the discount online.
Ages 15+
Pre-registration required by May 1 at 11:59pm
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Members: $30
Non-members: $40
Returning banders: Free -
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Banding at Riveredge
Since 1999, Riveredge Nature Center has participated in the Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship (MAPS) continent-wide bird banding program that studies birds in the summer during the breeding season. This effort, under the license of Master Bird Bander Jana Gedymin, relies on a team of dedicated volunteers that have gone through a specific training process to learn the skills required to safely band birds. This course is the place to start if you are new.
Becoming an Official Banding Station Volunteer
Incoming banding volunteers begin as observers and will have the opportunity to play a more active role handling birds with experience. We require an investment of three (3) banding sessions (2023 dates listed below), and vetting/approval from the Master Bander to ensure the safety of wildlife and volunteer readiness. Advancement through the training process is dependent upon skill level, interest and time commitment.
Volunteer roles include:
- Observer (Watch and learn)
- Surveyor (Document birds detected during banding sessions)
- Site Assistant (Set-up and take-down of mist nets and equipment)
- Scribe (Document banding data in the field)
- Extractor (Retrieve birds from mist nets)
- Bander (Identify, band and assess birds)
- Data Compiler (Transfer hand-written scribe data to electronic database post-session)
Upon successful completion of this orientation and Master Bander approval, new volunteers will be invited to attend MAPS and demo banding sessions at Riveredge where they will begin learning the art of banding in the field.
MAPS Banding 2023 dates:
- Thursday June 8th (9th backup)
- Thursday June 15th (16th backup)
- Thursday June 22nd (23rd backup)
- Thursday July 6th (7th backup)
- Thursday July 13th (14th backup)
- Thursday July 20th (21st backup)
- Thursday August 3rd (4th backup)
Demo Banding 2023 dates:
- Saturday May 20th
- Fall (August/September) 1-4 sessions; dates TBD
Contact Jana Gedymin for more information: jgedymin@riveredge.us
Members and returning volunteers:
Be sure to sign in to your account in the upper right corner to activate your membership benefits. Membership discounts on programs will be applied to your cart at checkout. If you haven’t created an account with our new system, be sure to create one using the email address associated with your membership.
If you need to check your membership status or you aren’t sure what email address we have on file, please reach out to our Membership Manager, Renee Buchholz at rbuchholz@riveredge.us.
To become a member, click here