2023 Conference Highlights

2023 Ohio Young Birders
Conference Recap & Photo Gallery!

The 15th annual Ohio Young Birders Conference continued this event’s tradition of excellence! Inspiring presentations, exciting prizes, a guided field trip, and the exciting Kaufman Bird Identification Quiz made for a day to remember! Pulling off an event like this is no easy task, and wouldn’t be possible without the help of so many AMAZING volunteers and partners! First, the Black Swamp Bird Observatory (BSBO) team would like to thank Joel, Sam, David, Ethan, Emily, and Killian, the incredible student presenters, for their outstanding presentations. They were inspiring, fun, informative, and perfectly delivered. Special thanks to Lorelei Williams for an excellent keynote presentation. Thank you to the chapter advisors for their continued support and investment in these students. To the parents, we want to thank you for the time, energy you put into fostering your child’s love of birds and birding. Thank you to Kenn Kaufman - artist and author for creating and facilitating yet another incredible Kaufman Bird ID Quiz!

This event wouldn't be possible without the support of our sponsors and partners. We must first thank our excellent partner and host Grange Insurance Audubon Center for their partnership with our central chapter and for providing the perfect event space at no cost to BSBO!

Thank you to Kaufman Field Guides, the Scott and Margy Trumbull Foundation, PattyeBakes Cookies, and Wildside Nature Tours for their sponsorship at the Black-necked Stilt Level. Thank you to the Ohio Ornithological Society, Sabrewing Nature Tours, and Princeton University Press for their Wood Duck Level sponsorship. We also want to thank The Ornithology Club at Ohio State for providing a fantastic field trip; they even found life birds, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker and Brown Creeper, for some of the students! They also assisted Kenn with the Kaufman Bird ID Quiz.

And finally, thanks to all those who attended the conference. Your support and enthusiasm made the day so special.

2023 Ohio Young Birders Conference Photo Gallery

Thanks to all those who attended the conference.
Your support and enthusiasm made the day so special.

Keynote Speaker

How Birding Makes You A Better Person by Lorelei Williams

Appreciating, studying and being around birds has been proven, by science, to improve your mental health. They give you the ability to practice the value of patience, expand your horizons, and strengthen your sense of curiosity. Birds help you care about the natural world as a whole, and make you a better friend to people you meet.

About Lorelei:

Lorelei Williams has been birding for as long as she’s been able to hold a pair of binoculars. She’s currently a 2nd year student at the Ohio State University and is majoring in Middle Childhood Education. She has worked with RAPTOR INC, a rehabilitation center for birds of prey. She’s also the treasurer of the Ohio State University Ornithology Club, and participates in its Lights Out initiative. She lives in Columbus, Ohio. In her free time, she enjoys reading, writing, and playing Dungeons and Dragons.