Ben Spory and his team provided veterans and guests with a demonstration of important work of Project Owl Net!
It has become a growing Soldiers2Scientists (S2S) Veterans Day tradition: Saw-whet Owl Banding with Ben Spory and his Project OwlNet team in Bergton, Virginia. This annual gathering represents so much of what S2S is about and what we strive to create for the military community: opportunities to learn, contribute, connect, and continue serving through meaningful work in science and conservation.
Those who came for the demonstration got a chance to learn how to properly hold the owls and get a better look at these fascinating creatures!
Veterans who have joined S2S expeditions across the country, military-connected students, and military families came together to learn about this incredible community science initiative and experience the banding process of these remarkably elusive little owls firsthand. Few projects better demonstrate the power and importance of community-driven science than Project OwlNet. Its nationwide network brings together scientists, researchers, permitted banders, students, and volunteers who dedicate their time and expertise to studying and protecting a species we would understand far less about without decades of sustained collaboration. Every station, every banded owl, every observation, and every volunteer contributes to a much larger conservation effort.
Researchers use blacklights to determine the age of a given owl during the banding process!
There is something particularly meaningful about bringing our military community into this kind of work. The same spirit of teamwork, commitment, shared purpose, and service that brings people together in uniform can also bring them together in the field, contributing to something larger than themselves.
This Veterans Day, S2S honors and remembers the sacrifices of our veterans and military families. We thank those who have served, celebrate the deep connections between military service and conservation, and remain committed to creating opportunities for veterans and military-connected families to continue serving in a new capacity—as aspiring scientists, researchers, and conservationists.
Ben pointing out some of the different parts of an owl!
If you’d like to help make these experiences possible, your support helps S2S bring more veterans, military-connected students, and families into meaningful field science opportunities across the country.
Please visit the link in our bio or make a contribution directly at:
www.soldiers2scientists.org/donate
Thank you for supporting our mission, and Happy Veterans Day from all of us at Soldiers2Scientists!
