Ben Mirin is a PhD candidate at Cornell University, based in the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

He is an active sound recordist and lifelong lover of birds.

As a Fulbright Hays DDRA Fellow, Ben’s research focuses on songbird conservation and the wildlife trade. He is collaborating with faculty at Universitas Gadjah Mada and a collection of local non-governmental organizations to co-create an environmental education program that uses music, storytelling, and bioacoustics to connect young people with their native songbirds. His team’s research uses a combination of ethnographic and social science methods to measure this program’s impact on young adult attitudes and behaviors toward traded songbirds. He is delighted to be conducting this fellowship in Indonesia, where there is much to learn about birds and our relationships with wildlife.

Before starting his PhD, he was a professional science communicator, artist, and explorer best known for creating music from animal sounds he recorded on research expeditions worldwide. He has produced and presented in films, television series, interactive games, and live events to share this work and inspire conservation among audiences beyond the reach of academia and traditional science media. He is passionate about making conservation more inclusive through collaboration and creativity.

Ben holds a bachelor’s degree in English with a concentration in photojournalism from Carleton College.

His work in media and music is available on benmirin.com.

(Profile photo by Randall Scott)