Talking to Andrew Rominger can get anyone excited about birds and environmental stewardship. This senior at Albuquerque’s Valley High School was recipient of the 2003 President’s Environmental Youth Award, given by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. His project, Birds of a Feather: Working for Avian Conservation, combines the conservation work of bird surveying with the inspiration of environmental education.

Rominger developed his fascination with birds during a family trip in Gila country when he was 7 years old. A Western tanager flew across the window, and Andrew was instantly amazed and awed. He saved his money to buy a bird book and received a pair of binoculars for Christmas. But even before Andrew was specifically interested in birds, he always had a passion to do something for the environment. Perhaps the earliest indication of Andrew’s desire for environmental activism can be found in a photograph of him at age 6 carrying a sign that proclaims, “Stop logging mangrove.” Andrew knew that people needed to be concerned with conservation, and eventually he used his interest in birds to channel this energy.

Andrew has been conducting bird surveys for 4 years. Working with Rio Grande Bird Research, Andrew manages and participates in many bird surveys throughout Bernalillo County, located in central New Mexico, stretching from the East Mountain area to the Volcano Cliffs on the west mesa. He has written and presented reports to the Bernalillo County East Mountain Open Space Committee, of which he is a member. Bird survey work is important, because “everyone became more aware of the birds out there,” Andrew explained. Andrew has been able to see unique birds to the area, such as the Indigo Bunting, which is not readily found in New Mexico.

The education component of his project, New Mexico/Mexico Connections, evolved from his survey work. He wanted to take the information and inspiration birds evoke and create an education curriculum. Andrew compiled information and photos of twelve birds that breed in New Mexico. He brought this information along with interactive games that teach about bird ecology into a fourth-grade classroom at Lew Wallace Elementary School.

Students also painted the birds they were studying. To Andrew, the artistic component of his curriculum is one of the most important. In painting birds, “you must look at the details and get the essence of the bird,” Andrew said. “You build a new level of empathy and intimacy and create a whole new relationship with birds.” The students’ artwork was displayed at the Rio Grande Nature Center, where students had the opportunity to “feel empowered and know they can share real, useful information.”

Andrew has several words of advice for other young people interested in turning their interest in the environment into action. A good support team is critical for continual encouragement and assistance. Andrew credits his mother and the Valley High School Environmental Club for their support and help in his endeavors. “Organization and a good work ethic are also essential,” Andrew explained when describing his path towards a successful project. But when Andrew mused about the most important advice he could give, he emphatically replied, “Passion. You have to have a passion for the project you are pursuing.”

Andrew’s passion for birds and conservation are clearly evident. He has successfully juggled the challenges of being both a high school student and an elementary educator. Although the majority of Andrew’s time is filled with school and his work with Rio Grande Bird Research and Lew Wallace Elementary School, he always finds time to revisit the mountains and grasslands. Andrew feels that it is important “to reconnect with nature. For me, the Magdalena Mountains are what make me feel revitalized.” Andrew asserts that if people want to be in service for the environment, they must continually work to make sure they “have an intimate connection with the environment to find inspiration and drive.”

Inspiration and drive are not hard to find in Andrew. The high school senior wants to follow his passions for biology, ecology, ornithology, and activism. He is currently exploring different colleges with strong biology departments and undergraduate research programs. Now that bird breeding season is over, Andrew will be able to relax before school starts in the fall and spend time in Oregon and Arizona, for some “birding and herpetology.” For more information about Andrew’s work and the PEYA awards, visit <www.epa.gov/enviroed/awards.html>.