Richard A. Parks Biography

Application Deadline is Thursday, 31 January 2008

What is it? GOS wants to help young people learn about the fascinating and fun hobby of bird watching (birding). We are offering one scholarship to an interested young person (ages 14-18) to attend the American Birding Association’s (ABA) Young Birder’s Conference (YBC) in Minot, North Dakota, during June 17-22, 2008. This is an extraordinary opportunity for a young person to learn about all aspects of birding from some of the best birders in the country. The tentative schedule for this conference is attached to the bottom of this announcement. To learn more about ABA’s YBC, visit the following website:

http://www.americanbirding.org/yb/conf/index.html

How will GOS help? GOS will pay the registration fee and up to $1,000 to cover the travel expenses for one young birder. The registration fee covers the cost of food and lodging, as well as the birding trips and roundtrip airline transportation.  GOS will make arrangements with ABA to register the scholarship recipient. The recipient will need to make his/her own travel arrangements.

What do you have to do to apply? The applicant must be age 14-18 during the period of the conference, and must be a Georgia resident. The interested birder must fill out the application and write an essay (minimum 300 words) explaining why he/she is interested in birds and birding, what he/she plans to do with the knowledge gained from going to the conference, and how he/she will spread interest in birding to friends, including recruiting friends to join GOS. Three letters of recommendation must be submitted with the application. The recipient of this scholarship must write an article for the GOS newsletter (GOShawk) and website when he/she returns home describing the birding conference experience.

When should you apply? The deadline for submitting your application, essay, and letters of recommendation is January 31, 2008. The winner of this scholarship will be selected by February 15.


Where do you apply? Send your application paperwork to:

Robert Sargent (Parks Scholarships)
1263 Clairmont Place
Macon, GA 31204