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On a cold, dark winter morning, a group of Georgia Gwinnett College (GGC) students and their professors made their way through the forest to listen and watch for birds. It was part of their experimental methods class.

“The idea is to immerse our students into scientific methodology,” said Maria Fernandez, instructor of biology. “We want our students to learn about the environment and to analyze the data that they collect. In this case, the birds are the data.”

Part of the morning’s outing includes listening for birds, and as the day dawns, observing them, and banding a few of them.

“Both of these methods, listening and observing, plus capturing birds, are a way to detect biodiversity,” said Dr. Mia Malloy, associate professor of biology. “Birds are a bio indicator of the health of the environment, like the canary in a coal mine.”

The faculty and their students are studying the effects of urbanization on birds in three Gwinnett County areas: GGC’s campus, Collins Hill Park and Harbins Park.

“There are certain groups of birds that don’t like urbanized areas so their numbers decline over time,” said Fernandez. “On the other hand, there are some birds that adapt and like being around people.”

The professors have been teaching these outdoor, hands-on research methods to their students since 2017.

“A lot of our students are used to learning within a classroom and a building, so this class takes them out of their comfort zone and into nature,” said Fernandez. “The experiences they have help them be comfortable with field work. They gain confidence in themselves in the process.”

At the end of the semester, the students will present their scientific findings.

“The students learn critical thinking and to apply that knowledge in the field and when they present their findings,” said Malloy. “They learn how everything is connected. Our students learn to do scientific analysis, and some also fall in love with birds.”

View and download bird banding gallery photos.