Workshop Testimonials

The content of the course was very comprehensive without getting too technical – review sheets were good as they refocused me and I could refer back to them – a great experience with lots of information to digest. Definitely a ‘10’ experience!

Marg Anderson – Burnaby Lake Parks Association

The reviews and exercise were helpful and I got what I wanted out of the course – the overall experience was fascinating and exhausting – my perspective on birds was enlarged by this course – Budgie bite is much more painful than Chickadee bite!! Thank you for providing this learning experience.

Colin McKenzie - Birder

This was an absolutely wonderful course that opened my eyes to the incredible knowledge that bird banders possess. I have already spoken to some of my friends about my experiences, and they are interested in possibly participating in this for themselves. Any suggestions for marketing this class that I could possibly come up with, you have likely already heard of, but the most powerful advertisement is word of mouth.

Thank you so much for your patience and introducing me to such a wonderful new world. I’m truly grateful for the experience and I hope I have the chance to see you at Burnaby for some banding weekends.
Thank you!

Erin O’Connor – BCIT Student

I really enjoyed the workshop. It was very well presented and I learned a lot. Derek is very knowledgeable and was a great instructor, and Carol was also of a great help. I would strongly recommend this workshop to anyone else.

Veronique Connolly – Canadian Wildlife Service – Environment Canada

An excellent course for the person who assists in banding operations and likes to study bird behaviour in general

Roy Yates – Birder and Naturalist

The course was wonderfully well organized and Carol’s contributions in keeping things running smoothly and intuiting the mood of the class were as valuable as Derek’s teaching.
I was very excited about attending the course, and came away tired, but with a renewed enthusiasm for birds and bird banding. I am so glad I was able to attend.

Peter Lawrance - Park Interpretation Leader – Metro Vancouver

The pace was perfect, the review sheets were very helpful - I enjoyed the classes and instructors and learned more than I expected in only two and a half days!

Kirtsin Webster – Masters student at Simon Fraser University

Just want to thank you one more time for a really superb workshop - Haven't had to think so hard since I retired! I found it an interesting experience being on the other side of the lecture table for once, and more than once my thoughts went back to what my own students must have tried to master. Your organization of the material and the whole workshop was faultless, and you went the extra mile to make us all feel comfortable and to provide everything we needed including tea, coffee, pizza and snacks; that was much appreciated.

I well realize just how much work was involved in producing the presentations and all the handouts and tests. The way you made the presentation was faultless, and your strategy of reinforcing the material as we went along with tests and repetition was extremely valuable and a good one. What can I say? This was one of the most enjoyable weekends I have ever spent. And thank you for opening up your lovely house to us and giving us experience in actually being "idiot banders" for a morning!

Thanks a million - Very best wishes,

Derek Sutton – Retired University Professor

Outstanding – extremely well organized – fast-paced but great knowledge laddering review sheets were a great way to apply knowledge – a 10 +++ experience Derek & Carol make an awesome team – Loved it – can’t wait to apply skills – Great course!

Eric Demers - Ph.D., R.P.Bio. U-C Professor, Biology B.Sc. Degree Advisor, Malaspina University-College

A ‘10’ experience – it was intense but stimulating, challenging and fun all at once!

Carol Woodworth

The content of the course was FABULOUS – great as a prep for real birding/banding

Aija White

An 11 out of 10 experience! Definitely got more knowledge – great hands-on experience – gained confidence in my ability to participate in mist-netting – GREAT course – a real treat!

Cally Curle – Grouse Mountain Wildlife Management

A 10 experience – excellent!

Jane Shoemaker – Burke Mountain Naturalists

An 11 out of 10 experience – This is exactly the kind of thing I need to get started on my way to banding some day!

Stephen Joly

A 10 experience – excellent, very technical but interesting and challenging – perfect – fast paced but very well organized – great team – Knowledge of subject matter was very impressive – I will recommend this highly!

Karen Barry

Fantastic experience!

Charlie Palmer, M.Sc. (Hons) – Senior Ecologist - Hemmera Environmental

A 10 experience – intensive but not overwhelming – I really enjoyed the course and learnt so much I will definitely recommend the course to friends and co-workers! Your enthusiasm and encouragement was much appreciated!

Ashleigh Ballevona – Hemmera Environmental

Very exciting, high paced, excellent – A 10 experience!

Lee Schaeffer, MFC, RPF RPBio – Biologist - Uji Ecological Conservation and Restoration Ltd.

A 10 experience!

Ivor Brown

Very knowledgeable and excellent teaching – a great blend of classroom and field experience – Thank you!

Raime Fronstin – Doctoral Student, Simon Fraser University

I learned a lot of great information that will be useful to me in my work and in my hobby – Derek & carol were both great – Thank you both!

Melanie Gordon - Wild Animal Rehabilitation Centre

This is exactly what I look for in a course like this – comprehensive, knowledgeable leaders who are helpful and enthusiastic about the subject.

Neal Gordon

Excellent – I really enjoyed it – The field sessions were incredible and the classroom work was well structured and very interesting.

I learned a huge amount in a very short time – I can’t wait to get out and volunteer – Thanks for everything – I really enjoyed the course and hope I’ll be able to help at some of the Vancouver/Burnaby sites.

Darcy Pickard – ESSA Technologies Environmental Consulting

A valuable learning and life experience!

Rick Leche – Bird & Wildlife Photographer

Thanks for the course – I feel confident and comfortable with the handling and determining bird characteristics after completing this course – Can’t wait to apply my knowledge!

Samantha Brett

Very comprehensive and detailed – I really enjoyed the 2nd filed session seeing (and using) how much I had learned

Renae Mackas – Simon Fraser University

I had a ton of fun and learned much more than I expected to – Let me know when you’ve got the ID course organized! :o)

Julie Rivers
 

May 2008 – Workshop Evaluations

This course is exceptional. The content is comprehensive, applicable and very well organized. Derek and Carol excel at sharing this information in an enthusiastic and knowledgeable manner that makes the fast-paced and intense learning very fun. One can't help but to be motivated to learn and then to put this new knowledge into practice. A must have experience for anyone who wishes to take their knowledge and interest in birds to a new level.

Gord Gadsden - FVRD Parks Resource Technician

A 10 experience – I learnt a lot and feel much more confident handling birds.

Jason Osterhold

Excellent – learned tons – Thanks!

Dave Driediger - FVRD Parks

Thanks again for taking the weekend for this extra workshop, and for all the work that goes into putting all this together. It was a great learning experience and well worth the time, even the early start. (I'm definitely not a morning person!)
I also very much appreciated, and I'm sure all of the group would agree, your emphasis on the need for conservation and doing whatever we can to make a difference. We all have to keep this in the forefront and keep getting the message out wherever we can.
I was just looking out the window at the birds in our backyard and wondering if I could pick out any molt limits with my binos. :))
Thanks very much for all the work you put in to this – great!

Stan Olson – expert birder

Great experience – learned so much in a short time that will help me as a birder / bander – 10 out of 10!

Ryan Johnson

A ‘10’ experience – learnt a lot!

Lee Larkin

Learned lots – excellent teachers – well organized – supportive to asking questions – tests great review – Wow! To touch a live healthy bird!
The weekend was fabulous. Thanks so much for taking your time to teach us in such a grand fashion!

Janne Perrin
 

Workshop Testimonials – March 27th – 29th 2009

A 12 out of 10 experience! The class is exactly what I have been looking for in my thirst for knowledge about birds - Thank you for an amazing weekend - I learned so much and left the class feeling passionately curious and inspired – You have opened a door to me that will never be shut. Thanks again.

Joel Brady-Power

A solid 10! Very comprehensive, beyond expectations – I am convinced that every birder should take this course to be a better birder!!

John Vooys - Regional Coordinator, British Columbia Breeding Bird Atlas, Central Fraser Valley

A 10 experience – It was really well organized – Thank you!

Lisa Rockwell

A 10 experience – wonderful – Thank you!

Melissa Todd – MFR Coast Forest Region Research Section

Excellent course - A 10 experience! - I now feel confident to start banding birds!

James Pesci – Simon Fraser University(SFU) – Environmental Science

Great experience especially when combined with the Bird ID course – Thank you so much – I can’t wait to wow my friends when I tell them about the HETH’s emarginated P6!! 

Good coverage of background information and quality time with birds – a 10 experience!

Amanda Edworthy – University of British Columbia (UBC)

I loved this workshop! Thanks so much fro being so helpful and informative and truly welcoming. It was a great experience! Thanks!

Haley Kenyon - University of British Columbia (UBC)

A 10 experience! Excellent presentation! Great mix of theory and practical – THANK YOU for all your considerable input!

Cassie Williams – Kamloops Naturalists Club (KNC)

It was great – a 10 experience – very intense and I learned a lot!

Michaela Martin – University of British Columbia (UBC)

Excellent – inspiring to get back to birds!

Louise Waterhouse - M.Sc., RPF, RPBio - Research Wildlife Habitat Ecologist, Coast Forest Region

I enjoyed it a lot – I felt I learned and retained a lot in a short period of time – Thanks!

Anna Drake – Simon Fraser University (SFU)
 

Workshop Testimonials – April 24th – 26th 2009

Excellent, classroom sessions were very informative and the field trips were great. I feel much more confident in ageing and sexing – a 10 experience!

David Toews, MSc. PhD Student - Biodiversity Research Centre
Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia

Fantastic, Brilliant, Really wonderful, Fulfilling – I’m hooked on banding! 12.3 out of 10!! :o)

Rachel Field – Simon Fraser University

It was an awesome experience. It’s a rare thing to learn so much while having so much fun. On a scale of 1 – 10…. A 15 experience!!!

Carolina Ribeiro

Great content and fun even with no experience with north American landbirds – a 10 experience!

Andrea Gielens

I got more than I wanted out of the course – it covered a lot and moved well – in class and banding station was a perfect balance – just wish the Bluebird would have flown our way!! Thanks!

Monica Nugent

Great people, very well done in terms of layout, progress, use of photos and samples and supportive filed work! Well balanced and though out – Lovely! :o) The review you have built in to the course was expertly done and bang on with the latest brain research on the brain and learning. Definitely a 10!

Geoff & Emily Styles – Shuswap School District & Birds Korea

Now I feel much more confident about my ability to identify the right characteristics of birds when banding or birding – You guys are inspiring! Thanks!

Dorthea Atwater

Learnt a lot, enjoyed it especially the filed work – a 10 experience!

Patrick Fawkes
 

May 2009 – Workshop Evaluations

Derek and Carol, I really want to say, if I can, how much I got out of the workshop. It really was a peak experience for me, and I am anxious to get back to Colony Farm and be there to learn and observe more. Thank you so much for having the commitment and caring to make this learning opportunity possible.

As everyone has already told you, I am sure, you and Carol were so incredibly organized and clear, and knowledgeable. Any deficiencies in my learning are my responsibility and mine alone, I assure you!

As I've said, I would really like to go back to Colony Farm soon, so I will keep an eye on when you will be down there, and come out. Can't wait for the chance!

Thank you again, it was simply great!

Rozanne Thompson – Burke Mountain Naturalists


A 10 experience – it inspired me to finally make my home more bird friendly and continue improving my skills!

Aimee Mitchell

The course moved quickly, challenging, great! A 10 experience – I really enjoyed myself while learning more than I expected.

Aaron Gaffney

A 10 experience – As much information as I can handle and a bit more (this is good!) Excited to get out, bird more and participate in monitoring / studying programs.

Megan McGinty

Very informative and very comfortable learning environment – A 10 experience!

Tanya Jones – Simon Fraser University

A 10 experience!

Sean McCann – Simon Fraser University

Wonderful experience – a 10!

Jim Davis – Davis MPE Inc.

Excellent – didn’t feel sleepy even once during the lecture / discussion sessions – Derek / Carol – excellent instruction! Appreciate the practical application of information presented – A 10 experience!

Tom Marshall

I received some excellent information from you and thought that you did an excellent job of presenting the material

Julie Kovach