Day Camp participants enjoy a birding field trip offered by New Jersey Audubon and sponsored by Zeiss Sports Optics.

Carl Zeiss Sports Optics, a leading manufacturer of high performance sports optics for birders and nature enthusiasts, is continuing its partnership with New Jersey Audubon to promote birding and conservation among young people. New Jersey Audubon promotes birding with children and teens through school-based programs, afterschool programs, summer camps, bird-specific youth events and the New Jersey Young Birder’s Club, which is open to children aged 11 to 17. In 2018, New Jersey Audubon taught 3,279 children about birds, birding and bird conservation with the continuing support of Zeiss!

Dale Rosselet, Vice President for Education for New Jersey Audubon, is pleased to see continued growth in the popularity of birds among children: “We use the beauty and interesting lives of birds to engage young people in science learning. Not only are kids excited about seeing birds in their neighborhoods and further afield, but they are using new and sophisticated technology to engage in bird migration studies and climate science projects.”

“We are so grateful for Zeiss’s continued sponsorship,” she said. “When you see these young people taking what they know about birds and applying it to real science, it is truly an inspiration and you know you are making a long-term impact.”

“Zeiss’s ongoing partnership means we can continue to deliver high-quality educational programs now and on into the future,” she added. “We are building a cohort of dedicated environmental activists that will shape the future of conservation in New Jersey and beyond.”

Zeiss continues to serve as the lead sponsor of this program, which provides young people throughout New Jersey the expertise, skills and equipment they need to enjoy birding as well as strengthen their love of healthy outdoor pursuits and provide them with STEM education.

This partnership will enable New Jersey Audubon to:

* Engage more than 3,000 children in informal science education using birds and birding through scout troops, summer camps, after school programs and the New Jersey Young Birders Club, which includes groups from traditionally underserved communities.

* Plan and conduct a minimum of 10 youth birding field trips as well as 3 targeted events just for young birders, through annual autumn and spring events including the World Series of Birding Zeiss Optics Youth Challenge.

* Plan and conduct the New Jersey Migration Watcher in Training Program during fall migration. This mentorship program provides young people with up-close and personal interaction with professional bird migration biologists.

To see more information about Carl Zeiss Sports Optics and Zeiss products, please refer to https://www.zeiss.com/nature

You can get more information about New Jersey Audubon at https://njaudubon.org/ and https://njaudubon.org/summer-camps/