This summer, I was lucky enough to be a part of the annual Young Ornithologists ’ Workshop in Long Point, Ontario. When I found out that I was selected, I immediately began reviewing my Sibley and Nat Geo guides in preparation. This would be my first time in Ontario, and I would need to familiarize myself with the avian residents. From Pearson Airport, I was driven 2 hours to Long Point Observatory. On the first day, we began setting up mist nets along the trail outside of our communal house. Our daily routine was simple: at 5:50 in the morning, we opened the mist nets and checked them every 30 minutes until noon. For the next 6 hours, we rotated on net runs and banded the birds back at the station. My peers and I observed as the professionals extracted, collected, and banded the birds from each net. We were given the opportunity to scribe next to them, recording each bird ’ s age, sex, weight, wing length, fat, and skull. The next morning, we were given the opportunity to band them ourselves. I was surprised and felt that it may be safer to watch instead. After some convincing, I decided to give it a try. With help from the team, I held and banded my first bird, a Least Flycatcher, at the Long Point banding station. After that success, I felt much more confident and tried to extract and band every bird I could. I learned how to approach a bird caught in a net, making sure to determine the direction of entry and to remove the bird as carefully as possible. I collected them in bags and removed them without letting them get away. I used a bander ’ s grip, allowing for a bird ’ s leg to be in reach for safe banding. I recorded observations with help from the Pyle Banding “ Bible ” I learned how to insert a bird into a weighing tube headfirst in order to accurately record its mass while making it look as silly as possible. Finally, I learned how to hold a bird in photographer ’ s grip before letting it fly back into the woods. Over the course of the week, this routine became natural to me and I felt comfortable as a member of the banding crew. At noon, we closed the nets and returned to the house for lunch. We spent afternoons learning everything a naturalist should know. We watched a taxidermy demonstration, caught Pandorus Sphinx moths and Fowler ’ s Toads, banded hummingbirds, called for Barred Owls, travelled to the tip of Long Point, went ziplining, and even attempted a Big Day (we ended the day with 106 species and many mosquito bites). We were kept busy every afternoon and headed to the trail platform in our downtime. At the platform, I saw too many lifers to count. My peers helped me see Blackburnian Warblers, American Redstarts, and even an Olive-Sided Flycatcher (which I sprinted out of the house for). We spent every hour of that week doing what we loved; I never even realized how tiring it was until I left. By Saturday, my banding resum é had grown immensely. I banded baby robins, cardinals, and catbirds. I stood in line to band a young downy woodpecker with very sharp talons. I waited to band a Baltimore Oriole which disappointingly, did not smell like orange. I began banding two Warbling Vireos before they both got away. I extracted a Cedar Waxwing that promptly excreted its digested berries onto me. I also made a point of holding and photographing the different birds that left the lab and counted a dozen lifers from banding alone. At the stations, I got to experience bird banding up close for a week straight, and learned more than I ever expected to. I did what I loved with like-minded people who helped me navigate an incredible week of learning. I am very grateful to the crew for sharing this experience with me.