Migratory Bird Banding and Environmental Education Program

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The objectives of this Agreement are to continue long-term bird banding research at Bandelier National Monument (Bandelier) and to provide high-quality, environmental education to local elementary and middle school students through placed-based science education, interpretation and formal classroom presentations. This funding will support the costs of recruiting and hiring American lead bird banding interns, and Mexican interns who will be trained in monitoring methods needed to collect biological information on populations of migratory birds. The interns will collect data on and measure demographic rates of several bird species at Bandelier using a nationally recognized protocol known as Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship (MAPS) during the breeding season (DeSante et al. 2007) at three sites, and using constant-effort mist-netting protocols during fall migration at one site, all within Bandelier. The interns will also develop educational programs and provide place-based environmental education programs at the bird banding sites, and classroom-based education programs that conform to the New Mexico science curriculum standards for students in 4th through 8th grade. This environmental education program will engage between 700-800 students per year, or over 2,800 students during the four year period of performance of this Agreement.

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