The BBC is pleased and proud to announce that our two annual Bill Drummond Young Birder Scholarships have been awarded to Samuel Harris of Dorchester and William Buswell of Wakefield. These scholarships, instituted to nurture interest in bird study and conservation among young birders, cover the full cost ($1690) of the Coastal Maine Bird Studies for Teens program at National Audubon’s Hog Island camp on June 18-23, 2023. The Scholarship Evaluation Committee was impressed by the quality of the applications we received, and we thank all the applicants for their interest. Our thirteen previous scholarship recipients all had tremendous and transformative adventures at Hog Island. Congratulations to Samuel and William!
Sam has co-led bird walks for the Boston Nature Center and monitored nests at the BNC as part of Cornell’s Nestwatch project. He is active in Mass Audubon’s Teen Birders Group at Drumlin Farm and aspires to become an ornithologist. “Bird watching,” he says, “is everything to me!”
William discovered his passion for the wonders of the natural world at age six. He is fascinated by how taxonomy reflects the interconnectedness of life, and as a student member of Wakefield’s sustainability committee, he has worked to protect prime bird habitat. “Thanks to birds,” he says, “I am engaging with my community and environment like never before.”
Scholarships are supported through the generous donations of club members. To donate, you can designate an amount on the “BBC Young Birder Scholarship” line on the back page of the club bulletin when you renew your membership or, especially for life members, at any other time you might wish to donate. You can donate online by clicking the Donate link on the BBC home page and entering an amount in the box for “Young Birder Scholarship.”