Youth Birding
The Delaware Valley Ornithological Club (DVOC) Youth Birding Committee has been working hard to find new ways to promote youth birding throughout the Delaware Valley. We are excited to announce a number of opportunities designed to support our youth birding initiatives.
Our student memberships offer young birders college age and younger the opportunity to enjoy the many benefits of DVOC membership at a deeply discounted rate.
STUDENT MEMBERSHIP SPECIAL
• $10 includes a one year membership plus a FREE copy of The Young Birder’s Guide to Birds of Eastern North America
• Student members enjoy all the benefits of adult membership ($35) for a fraction of the cost!
Simply visit the DVOC website and complete the membership application for approval! Gift applications may be submitted on behalf of your favorite young person! Please note “Student Membership” in the bio section. Books will be available for pick up any scheduled meeting of the DVOC.
Your monetary contribution is always welcome and sincerely appreciated, and a donation may be completed in your name or on behalf of a friend or family member. Donations are accepted online (see below). Your donation will provide financial support for the scholarship fund and future events for young birders. The DVOC is a 501(c)(3) organization and your donation is tax deductible.
Thank you for your support!
You can quickly and easily make a donation using PayPal. Click the “Donate” button below to do this. If you have a Paypal Account please log in. If you do not, use the “Don’t have a PayPal account?” section in the lower left hand corner of the page that appears after you click the “Donate” button below.
Or write a check payable to “DVOC” and send it to:
DVOC Treasurer
c/o 1314 Lenore Road
Meadowbrook, PA 19046
The DVOC is a 501(c)(3) organization.
Contributions to DVOC are tax-deductible.
Adam J. Sabatine Memorial Scholarship Award
The DVOC Adam J. Sabatine Memorial Scholarship Award was established in 2014 as an ongoing scholarship fund. The purpose of the award is to help encourage, enlighten, and foster ornithological skills in young birders between the ages of 13-18. At least one scholarship will be awarded each year, subject to the availability of funds raised by the Youth Birding Committee, in the amount designated by the DVOC Youth Birding Committee to assist with the costs associated of attending a program specified by the committee. The amount of the award will be at least 30% but no more than 90% of the actual cost of the camp fees and related expenses in any given year. The successful candidate and their family will be required to make a financial commitment for the remaining amount due for the program fees and for all transportation fees. In cases of exceptional circumstances, a larger amount may be awarded at the discretion of the Youth Birding Committee.
The award is established in the name of Adam J. Sabatine, a passionate young birder who spread his knowledge of birds and shared the importance of bird conservation with nearly everyone he met. Adam lost his battle with diabetes at the young age of 26 in April 2012. His enthusiasm for birding was a driving force in his life and he spread that passion like wildfire throughout the birding community.
Adam was employed at various universities doing ornithological research. He graduated from Bangor High School, in Northampton County, Pennsylvania. He studied at University of West Virginia and was a member of Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity.
The DVOC is a club devoted to the science of birds. We want the passion for birds, avian knowledge and all things related to ornithology to spread like Adam’s inspiration has spread throughout the Delaware and Lehigh Valley birding communities. We would like to acknowledge Adam’s contribution to birding with this ongoing award in his name.
DVOC Adam J Sabatine Memorial Scholarship Application Packet
Committee Members
Katrina Rakowski – Chairperson
Brian Quindlen – Chairperson
Debbie Beer
Mary Bowler
Tony Croasdale
Joe Hudson
Sandra Keller
Edie Parnum
Chris Walters
Resources
NB4NB – DVOC’s initiative to get good equipment in the hands of young birders.
Interesting Links
2015 DVOC Adam J. Sabatine Memorial Scholarship Award
Our Adam J. Sabatine Memorial Scholarship was recently awarded to 14 year old eighth-grader, Kristen Johnson. Kristen submitted an impressive scholarship application reflecting her passion for birding, volunteering, and conservation. Our scholarship team voted unanimously to award Kristen the 2015 Adam J. Sabatine Memorial Scholarship. Many thanks to Edie Parnum, Joe Hudson, Mary Bowler, and Sandra Keller for reviewing applications and selecting our award recipient.
Kristen attended the American Birding Association’s Camp Avocet in August, held at the Virden Retreat Center in Lewes, Delaware, and shared her experience from Camp Avocet at the DVOC meeting in September. Her brilliant photo slide show took us day by day through each location visited during the week-long camp, including Bombay Hook, Cape Henlopen, Prime Hook, Chincoteague, and Cape May. Kristen enjoyed visiting a variety of habitats, added numerous species to her life list, and birded and attended workshops with well-respected educators and leaders in the field, including some of our very own DVOC members.
Kristen was very grateful for this wonderful experience, and has shared her presentation with the DVOC. Click Here for her presentation.
2014 DVOC Adam J. Sabatine Memorial Scholarship Award
We have selected James (Jay) Haley Familetti to be the recipient of the 2014 scholarship award. James has a great biography. He has 13 years of childhood energy and his passion for birding and bird related activities is deep and unyielding. You’ll learn more about James and his birding at the ceremony for this scholarship.
James Familetti had this to say at the banquet:
“I first learned about birding in Kindergarten when my teacher taught a lesson on birds and assigned us each a bird to study and draw. I was assigned the White-Breasted Nuthatch, which was the first bird I could ever identify. I soon began to see them in my backyard, and had a craving to learn about and be able to identify more birds.
My love for birding grew over time, and is still growing, so when I was able to apply for the scholarship to Camp Avocet and when I received the scholarship, I knew that I was going to have a week of amazing and fun birding. When I first pulled into the Virden Center and unpacked my bags, I knew that I would be comfortable for the 6 nights that I would be there. The facilities were amazing, and with delicious breakfast and dinner served every day, I couldn’t have asked for more. We visited many different birding hotspots, including Cape May, Chincoteague, Prime Hook, Fowlers and Slaughter beaches and Bombay Hook.
The highlight of my week was seeing the large amount of flycatchers and warblers, including my first redstart and olive-sided flycatcher, and I accumulated 131 life birds because I had never been shore-birding before and almost every shore-bird I saw counted towards my life. Some of the shorebirds I saw included a large variety of plovers and sandpipers, and also my first Red Knot. I also saw a very large group of eegrets take to the air when a bald eagle swooped down towards them. We had the privilege to view presentations from camp staff and birding guests. On our second to last day we got to participate in “Birding’s Big Green Hour,” where we had to spot as many species of birds as possible in an hour in Cape Henlopen.
During our free time, we had frisbee catches with most of the camp involved, and sat around the firepit in the middle of our facility. I was immensely sad when we had to leave, and I made sure to get contact info from all of the great friends I made before I left.
Camp Avocet was one of the best weeks of my life, and I will remember all of the great birds and great people there for the rest of my life.
Thank you”
Past Events
Sadie Glover Blossom Camp -2015
Youth Birding Day at Green Lane County Park
A report on this day, including pictures, is on the DVOC Blog which is available by Clicking Here.
2nd Annual ABA Mid Atlantic Young Birder Conference –
Click Here for a report from the 7/23/12 Field Trip to Heinz NWR by young people from the Sadie Glover Blossom Summer Camp.