Learn more at Bird Camps with BCAS Scholarships

Applications are now open! Deadline February 1, 2024. Details below.

Attending birding camps affords young birders a fantastic opportunity to advance their birding interest while exploring a new area, learning more about birds, and developing lasting connections with peers.

Atlantic Puffin on Eastern Egg Island, Maine. Photo by Claire VanTol.

Many birding camps combine speaker series, banding workshops, expert-led birding, and career exploration to give young birders a unique opportunity to improve their birding, learn about avian ecology and identification, and have some summertime fun with other young birders.

Boulder County Audubon Society annually offers scholarships to teens to attend birding camps. Students 15-17 years old who reside in Colorado are invited to apply for these scholarships. Preference is given to Boulder County Audubon teen naturalists and students who indicate financial need.  Awardees demonstrate a strong interest in natural sciences.

Bird banding at Hog Island. Photo by Pablo Quezada.

The Camps

Scholarship recipients attend the National Audubon Society’s Coastal Maine Bird Studies for Teens Program at Hog Island, Maine.

How to Apply

Applications are being accepted for the Boulder County Audubon scholarships to attend the Coastal Maine Bird Studies for Teens Program at Hog Island from June 16-21, 2024.

Before applying for the scholarship, please learn more about the camp that you are interested in attending.

What is it like going to camp?

Hear from 2022 scholarship recipient Hannah Floyd in her presentation during the January 2023 monthly program. For more information, see the articles from past Hog Island campers at the bottom of this page.

Eligibility

  • Applicants must be eligible for the camp they are applying for (Hog Island: 15-17 years old).

  • A resident of Colorado.

  • This scholarship is open to teens with any level of birding experience who have a keen interest in birds. Binoculars and other birding equipment are available for loan.

  • Scholarship applicants do not have to be part of the BCAS Teen Naturalists program. We do encourage participation in Teen Naturalists as it is an opportunity to learn more about local birds and natural history.

Teen’s Responsibilities

  • Attend camp and participate fully.

  • Share your experience with BCAS members by writing an article for On The Wing newsletter or giving a short presentation at a BCAS monthly program within the same calendar year.

 The deadline for submitting this year’s scholarship application is February 1, 2024. If you have any questions regarding this opportunity, please email us at scholarship@boulderaudubon.org.

Scholarship Application Form

Make sure you visit the website of the camp and thoroughly investigate it before filling out the scholarship application form. Places have already been reserved for scholarship awardees. Do not register for the camp at this time. We will help you complete the camp registration process after the scholarships have been awarded.

Please download and complete the scholarship form (Microsoft Word or PDF). You should then submit the form and the accompanying essay by emailing it to scholarship@boulderaudubon.org (using the Subject Line “Hog Island Scholarship”) or mail it to:

Audubon Scholarships
PO Box 2081
Boulder, CO 80306

A letter of recommendation from a teacher or other community member should be submitted to this same email or address.

Past Awardees’ Experiences

The following On The Wing newsletters include stories from past awardees.