Student Develops an Appreciation for Ducks in Waterfowl Workshop

By Guest Blogger Esmeralda Ramirez 

I was given the opportunity to be able to attend, for the last two Wednesdays, the San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory's Waterfowl ID Workshop, through a scholarship fund. Going into the workshop, I truly had no idea, or any background knowledge about ducks.

I was not a very informed person, and despite me being a beginner through this workshop, I really was able to learn a lot, as well as develop a new sense of fondness for ducks in general.

​I was able to learn many different things, such as how to spot, and be able to tell which ducks are which, as well as learning about different types of ducks mating, and special characteristics that they have. 

​My favorite part to learn was about the “hybrid” ducks, and the ways that even ducks have evolved, and I very much enjoyed being able to see the diversity in the duck species, which I had never been exposed to before. I ...

also enjoyed being able to see what I myself can do in order to be able to help and conserve the duck population, not just in the Bay Area, but on a global scale as well.

​Overall, I very much enjoyed being able to partake in this workshop, I was able to learn a lot, and develop my passions further, and I want to thank the donors who supported my scholarship. 

Esmeralda is a high school student interested in in nature who recently served as an intern with the California Academy of Sciences. ​