educators attend birds georgia's 2025 taking wing summer workshop

​by Brooke Michael, Communications Coordinator

In June 2025, educators from Georgia and Alabama gathered at Unicoi State Park in Helen, GA, for Birds Georgia’s annual Taking Wing workshop, an immersive learning experience focused on one of our most accessible and inspiring teaching tools: birds.

Taking Wing is more than just teacher training. It’s a yearlong professional development course designed for educators of all backgrounds seeking to incorporate birds and conservation into their classrooms and programs.

In this summer session, educators were introduced to:

• Common bird species and native plants of Georgia
• Bird identification, including using field guides
• Proper binocular techniques
• How to record and submit observations for community science projects
• The fundamentals of bird adaptations and life cycles
• Curriculum resources to support STEM integration

Led by Birds Georgia Education Program Manager Melissa Paduani, participants spent time outside practicing their birding skills, observing native plants, and exploring how to apply this knowledge directly to student learning experiences.

Since its inception in 2012, Taking Wing has trained more than 175 educators across Georgia, with each of them reaching hundreds of students each year.  Many alumni have gone on to start bird clubs at their schools, lead community bird walks, and become more involved with Birds Georgia.

Educators who complete the full program, including two follow-up sessions in fall and spring, earn up to 40 hours of professional learning units (PLUs). 

At Birds Georgia, we believe that fostering a love and understanding of birds can inspire the next generation of conservationists. Through Taking Wing, educators have a new tool to spark student curiosity and build connection with our natural world.