Program Overview: This course offers a unique opportunity to participate in the Institute for Bird Populations’ (IBP) Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship (MAPS) program. MAPS stations exist throughout the continent to assist in bird conservation with the use of bird banding — a special technique scientists use to track and study birds.
Begin this two-day avian adventure with a day of bird banding at a meadow banding station in Yosemite. Here you’ll be with the IBP bird banders and ornithologist Sarah Stock, Yosemite National Park’s supervisory wildlife ecologist, for a close-up, hands-on look at bird-banding. You’ll see researchers remove birds from mist nets, carefully place a band on the bird’s leg, and measure and record information about each individual bird. Our biologists put the safety and well-being of these birds first — they care deeply about the birds and are well-trained to avoid stressing them during this process.
On day two, enjoy a day of birding with your naturalist guide Andrea Canapary!
By the time your course wraps up, you’ll have a deeper understanding of songbird conservation, bird identification techniques, and the role that resident and migratory birds play in healthy ecosystems. With another night at your campsite, you can spend the rest of Saturday and Sunday birding in the park on your own or with some of your new friends from the course.
Know Before You Go:
- Program dates: Friday, June 13, from 6 am–1 pm and Saturday, June 14, from 7:30 am–2:30 pm
- Program location: Crane Flat
- What’s included: Two full days of guided instruction by a Yosemite Naturalist or National Park Biologist; one free day to enjoy the park on your own (June 15); park entry (as needed); and shared tent camping (camping dates cannot be altered). There is no discount if you choose not to use the included gate pass or campsite.
- Camping dates: Participants can arrive on June 12 after 12 pm and must depart on June 16 by 11 am. There are two shared campsites among all the participants. We guarantee tent camping only. If you choose to bring a recreational vehicle, we cannot guarantee you will have a parking spot. Please be prepared to tent camp. A picnic table, bear locker, and fire pit are provided at each site. Campsites fit six people per site.
- Campground location: Crane Flat Campground
- Lodging: Upgrade to Rush Creek Lodge for an additional fee. Lodging dates match camping dates. Lodging blocks expire 30 days prior to the program. Details on using our Group Code to book lodging will be emailed to you immediately after you register.
- Experience level: All levels welcome.
*This two-day program includes four nights of camping. Make the most of your trip by enjoying an extra free day, June 15, to explore on your own.
What’s not included:
- Gear or meals during your program.
- Camping gear or meals in the shared campsites.
- Transportation.
