Conservation Grants

CVWO has sponsored this opportunity for youth to attend the youth symposium.

"The primary mission of this event is to focus on ornithology, conservation science and related academic pursuits. The symposium does not focus on birding, bird identification techniques, or listing birds, but instead on cutting-edge technologies being used in avian research and study, careers in ornithology, and how to pursue that focus in higher education, vocationally, or avocationally."

CVWO has sponsored several youth to attend camps over the years. 

"Each year American Birding Association and its partners offer some fantastic events for young birders, enabling them to get out, learn more about birds, and go birding with others in their age group. Attending workshops, conferences, camps, and conventions gives these young people a unique opportunity to experience birding, learn about bird ecology and identification, and just have some fun with their friends."

CVWO has partnered with FiRN since 2022. The Observatory has provided grant money to assist in finch research projects and helped establish the Ned Brinkley Student Grant.

The Finch Research Network's mission is dedicated to the study and conservation of finches and their habitats globally.

CVWO has sponsored the 2025 Keynote Speaker, Dr. Mamie Parker.

The annual Winter Wildlife Festival is hosted by Virginia Beach Parks & Recreation along with the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources. The event includes seminars, trips, events, programs, contests, an exhibit hall and more! 

CVWO contributes to the hawkwatch efforts in Costa Rica. 

"The primary objective of these efforts is to track long-term population trends of diurnal raptors throughout primarily the second largest hawkwatch in the Americas. The information gathered enables us to better understand the dynamics, and conservation needs of raptor populations [throughout] the continent." 

 CVWO made donations to adopt 11 species as part of the fund-raising campaign to build the Breeding Bird Atlas website.

CVWO has provided signage and pollinator plantings for Edward S. Brinkley Nature Preserve located on Virginia's Eastern Shore. Artwork by Anna Stunkel.

CVWO helps support the world-renowned River of Raptors hawkwatch, in Veracruz Mexico, which counts an average of five million hawks each year. Almost every Broad-winged and Swainson’s Hawk, Mississippi Kite and Osprey in North America funnel through this important migratory route.

 CVWO is a partner on William & Mary's Center for Conservation Biology study, which helps support satellite transmitters for their "Western" Willet Migration Study.