Jacob: Audubon

Jacob leading a bird identification class for elementary school students.

In the Summer of 2022, after completing his degree in Wildlife and Fisheries Biology from UVM, Jacob Crawford began the first of two service-based training programs at Audubon Vermont.

First, he trained as a Forest Conservation Intern with the Bird Friendly Maple project and then went on to serve as the Community Science and Chapter Engagement AmeriCorps member, through the VHCB AmeriCorps program. Both positions are part of Audubon’s Youth Leadership Program; a set of programs focused on youth and young adults with the mission to train the next generation of conservation leaders.  Audubon Vermont is one of four partner organizations, together comprising the Serve Learn Earn workforce development collaborative.  Serve Learn Earn programs build pathways to high-quality employment and affordable education through skills training and service-based learning opportunities. We recently reconnected with Jacob, asking him to reflect on his training and service with Audubon Vermont.  

During his Audubon terms, Jacob engaged with a broad spectrum of community members; from preschoolers to retirees who visited the Green Mountain Audubon Center in Huntington, VT. He assisted with field trips and camp experiences, but the project Jacob is most proud of was in collaboration with the USA National Phenology Network. Jacob led a team of local volunteers to collect data in the field using an app called Nature’s Notebook and shared it as part of an ongoing, open-source science project. This global project is an important tool for scientists interested in studying the life-cycle of plants and animals in different habitats.  

Jacob credits his roles at Audubon with building on and expanding his personal and professional skills. Where his internship involved collaborations with landowners and foresters for habitat and forest assessments, his AmeriCorps service provided him many opportunities to engage with the community through science education or to share his wealth of knowledge about birds.

“A lot of the work that I was doing was community based and with community-based work comes engagement, networking and getting out and talking with the public. I feel like my public speaking abilities definitely were sharpened.”

Jacob mentioned time management, being adaptable, learning how to work on a team, and building professional relationships as areas of growth particularly important to his development as a young professional. He also highlighted how he benefitted from collaborating with others in the conservation sector including local foresters, conservation commissions, and landowners. 

Jacob sharing his final presentation as an intern at Audubon Vermont.

Jacob enthusiastically described the positive impact of the mentorship he received during his service with Audubon Vermont. He credits Debbie Archer, Education Program Manager, as providing him both the support and freedom to pursue projects with personal meaning. This included launching a brand new seven-week bird identification course, available virtually to anyone in the country. The course was the culmination of his technical and professional skill development, mentoring and personal growth over the course of his AmeriCorps service. “That took months of developing the presentations and putting together all the information. I recorded my lessons beforehand, then I would host office hours to answer questions about the bird species we were learning to identify. I hosted two bird walks in different portions of the state to reach as many people as possible. That was a large undertaking that definitely worked in time management skills and logistics to make sure that the project went smoothly.” 

Jacob continued to work within the conservation science sector following his AmeriCorps service. We connected with him just as he’s transitioning into an amazing new job, also with Audubon! Preparing for his move to Minnesota, Jacob described his new position, “I’ll be starting my new job as a forest ecologist with Audubon, Upper Mississippi River. I feel like the background I had at Audubon Vermont was just a super great experience. I was able to build and refine my skills and that definitely helped as I'm moving on through my career. My job will be the Bird Friendly Maple Project, which originated at Audubon Vermont, expanding that and getting it established in Minnesota and Wisconsin. That's going to take a lot of collaboration with different organizations, different landowners, a lot of different people. I definitely think that my experiences with Audubon Vermont working with so many diverse organizations will be very helpful.” 

Looking back, Jacob believes programs like Serve Learn Earn and Audubon’s AmeriCorps and internship programs are vital in exposing young people to conservation careers.

“I think there's an ever-growing need for conservation and education surrounding the natural world. It's so easy for us to lose touch with the natural world, what it needs to thrive, and how important it is for our ability to live on this planet.  Audubon Vermont is just such a powerful force within the local communities to inspire so many different generations of people. I think that the Audubon Vermont education programs are really powerful and instill a passion for the natural world around us.” 

Thanks Jacob and good luck with your new job!