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Thrilled to Share My Experience as an Intern with the Early Bird Team at Nature Conservation Foundation!
This November, I had the incredible opportunity to intern with the Early Bird team during Young Birders' Month (YBM) 2025 – India's first-ever nationwide celebration of birds for young people. As the coordination intern, I was responsible for managing and coordinating all the bird walks and events that took place across the country throughout the month.
The Scale of Impact
The Scale of Impact
What started as a simple idea in July 2025 grew into something extraordinary. By November, YBM had evolved into a massive collaborative initiative led by Early Bird and WWF-India, bringing together environmental organizations, nature educators, schools, and local birding clubs from across India.
My role involved coordinating over 200 events across 80+ locations, reaching 3,000+ young participants nationwide. From bird walks in Kanyakumari to sessions in remote villages in Arunachal Pradesh, from young birder-led walks near Hyderabad to nature journaling in Kalimpong – I had the privilege of connecting with passionate educators and organizers from every corner of India.
On the Ground at Wayanad Bird Festival
On the Ground at Wayanad Bird Festival
One of the highlights of my internship was representing Young Birders' Month at the Wayanad Bird Festival. Setting up our YBM stall and interacting directly with children was an absolute joy! Watching their excitement as they learned about birds, engaged in hands-on activities, and shared their own birding experiences reminded me why grassroots engagement is so crucial for conservation. These face-to-face interactions with young enthusiasts brought the entire coordination effort full circle – from managing events remotely to witnessing the spark of curiosity in children's eyes firsthand.
Why November?
Why November?
The timing was intentional: November marks the arrival of migratory birds across India and coincides with Dr. Salim Ali's birth anniversary (November 12) and Children's Day (November 14). This created the perfect backdrop for inspiring young minds to explore avian biodiversity.
Milestones & Learning
Milestones & Learning
Watching the initiative grow from 50 events by late October to crossing 100 events by November 7th, then 150 by November 18th, and finally over 200 by month's end was both exhilarating and humbling. The coordination work involved managing the event submission platform, amplifying organizer efforts through social media, and ensuring seamless communication across our WhatsApp channels and Instagram page.[early-bird]
The diversity of activities was remarkable – bird walks, quizzes, art competitions, storytelling sessions, nature journaling, bird origami, and the weekend-long Feather Fest in Bangalore. Seeing children as young as four years old through college students engage with birds in their own backyards reinforced the importance of local biodiversity awareness.
Gratitude
Gratitude
Immense gratitude to the Early Bird team at NCF and WWF-India for this transformative experience. Working alongside dedicated conservationists and educators who are committed to sparking ecological awareness in young minds has been truly inspiring. The combination of remote coordination and direct community engagement at events like the Wayanad Bird Festival gave me a comprehensive understanding of conservation outreach at scale.
Young Birders' Month will return in November 2026, and I'm excited to see this movement continue to grow!
#YoungBirdersMonth #CitizenScience #BirdConservation #EnvironmentalEducation #NCF #WWFIndia #NatureEducation #Biodiversity #ConservationInternship #WayanadBirdFestival
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