High Country Audubon Society is pleased to announce the availability of a grant of up to $500 to be used to assist with research of birds in the High Country of North Carolina. The Sue Wells Research Grant Program is in support of HCAS's mission statement, which is to encourage beginning birders and experts alike in our five county area to engage in conservation, education and research for the birds of western North Carolina.
The purpose of this grant program is to provide university or high school students with financial assistance for research concerning birds of the North Carolina High Country. The application requires a statement that directly addresses how the research is related to birds of this area. Additionally the student who receives the grant will be expected to present his/her findings at a High Country Audubon Society meeting within six months of the completion of the research.
The Sue Wells Research Grant was created in 2012 to support local students involved in bird research in the High Country. The first award went to Jessica Krippel, a Master of Science student at Western Carolina University. Jessica is using her grant to support her research of song sparrow mating success. In 2013 HCAS selected Morgan Harris, a graduate student at Appalachian State University, to look at reproductive pressures on local eastern bluebirds resulting from tree swallows moving into their territories.
Information about how to apply can be found at http://www.highcountryaudubon.org/education/suewellsresearchgrant.html . Application deadline is June 30, 2014.
