Cornell Lab of Ornithology

**About** Our mission is to interpret and conserve the earth’s biological diversity through research, education, and citizen science focused on birds and nature. **A Welcome from Executive Director Ian Owens** How did birds first enter your life? When I was just 15 years old, I experienced an electrifying moment with a Eurasian Marsh-Harrier. Ever since, I’ve never stopped looking for birds, or finding joy and inspiration in watching them. Birds spark a deep wonder, and they help us understand the living world. When birds disappear, they’re signaling that we’ve stressed our landscapes and oceans. When we make changes and they rebound, it signals hope that we can find ways to flourish *and* protect the natural world. Your support of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology helps by enabling **discovery** of new knowledge to understand and protect nature, **innovation** of new technologies to reveal that knowledge, **teaching** to foster new leaders, **inspiration** to motivate change, and **transformation of science to action** to make a difference on the ground. I hope you’ll join us on your own journey to experience the joy of birds and to learn along with us about the extraordinary feats they accomplish in their lives across the hemispheres. Thank you for being a part of our vibrant community helping to create a sustainable, thriving world for birds and people. Your support means so much for the future of birds and our planet. Thank you!