The Cornell Lab of Ornithology recently launched a free birding app, called Merlin Bird ID, which enables users to identify the birds they see or hear, anywhere, at any time.

The Bird ID Wizard asks users to answer three simple questions about the bird they are trying to identify, and Merlin will reply with a list of possible matches. Merlin offers quick and accurate identification for all levels of bird watchers to help them learn about birds across the Americas, Asia, Europe, Africa, and Oceania. Sample questions may include, “What size was the bird?” “What were the main colors?” and “What was the bird doing?” more

Rich D’Andrea ’01 (second from right) is inducted into the NJ Lacrosse Hall of Fame during a ceremony at the Fiddler’s Elbow Country Club in Bedminster on July 19. Pictured with D’Andrea is his father, Dan; mother, Darcy; and wife, Ericka Kapp ’98. 

Rich D’Andrea ’01, already a Peddie Sports Hall of Fame member (2021), was inducted into the New Jersey Lacrosse Foundation Hall of Fame on July 19. 

A three-year starter in goal at Peddie, D’Andrea helped the Falcons to a 44-5 record and two NJISAA Prep A Championships. He was a three-time First Team All-State Selection (’99, ’00, ’01), a two-time All-American (’00, ’01), and was twice the recipient of the Dietrich von Schwerdtner New Jersey Goalie of the Year Award (’00, ’01). In his senior campaign, the Falcons went undefeated (16-0) and earned a Top 15 national ranking.  more

D&R Greenway welcomes two recent graduates of Princeton University into one-year Fellowships in partnership with Princeton’s AlumniCorps Project 55 program. The program’s motto is to “Launch a life of civic leadership.” They are (from left) Ayame Whitfield and Heather Callahan, shown here at the front door to the newly acquired Gardener’s House at Point Breeze.

Two recent graduates of Princeton University were welcomed into one-year Fellowhips by D&R Greenway, beginning this summer. These Fellowships are provided in partnership with Princeton’s AlumniCorps Project 55 program. This program offers opportunities for exceptional recent graduates to connect with and work with nonprofits. The AlumniCorps Project 55’s motto is “Launch a life of civic leadership.” more

Pictured from left are Jacob Bright ’21, Lauren Hanna ’21, Aqua Withers Carello ’21, Alexis Semidey-Martinez ’21, and Angelo Leon ’21. Not pictured: Kaliyah Myricks ’21.

Six seniors from the George School Class of 2021 have committed to college athletic programs. The student athletes — in four different sports — celebrated their commitment to pursue their passion at the college level next year. In a ceremony held in the Fitness and Athletics Center, each senior was recognized by their families, coaches, teammates, and friends on Friday, May 21, 2021. more

The Princeton Area Community Foundation has awarded $199,000 in COVID-19 Relief & Recovery Fund grants to nonprofits holding summer programs that will include instruction to help students overcome learning loss caused by the pandemic.

“Through these grants, we are helping 25 nonprofits engage 2,900 children in educational and social-emotional learning programs,” said Jeffrey M. Vega, president and CEO of the Community Foundation. “We know COVID-19 caused significant disruptions to education, especially for students living in under-resourced communities, and we hope these grants will help young people rebound from some of that learning loss and re-engage children in the many community-based programs that were forced to shut down last year. We also invite other donors to join us in working to help nonprofits recover from the pandemic.” more

Waldorf School of Princeton (WSP), located at 1062 Cherry Hill Road, will hold an in-person Open House on Saturday, May 22 from 10 a.m. to noon. Waldorf serves children from early childhood through eighth grade. RSVP at https://www.princetonwaldorf.org/upcomingevents.

The Waldorf School of Princeton is part of a rapidly growing global education movement that is dedicated to igniting each child’s unique potential and passions. The rich interdisciplinary curriculum is distinct in the way it integrates the academic, artistic and the practical in each lesson. more

Nipun Majumdar and his team’s solar desalination prototype. 

Nipun Majumdar, a senior mechanical engineering major at TCNJ, has won TerraCycle’s second annual Ernel Simpson Innovation Award for environmental innovation, complete with a $500 stipend to support continued work on this project. Nipun and his teammates, Sophia Vazquez and Vanni Roa, have developed a prototype to support sustainable desalination using solar power. As Nipun explains, “We are in the midst of a climate emergency, and among many other problems freshwater scarcity is looming in many countries around the world.” The desalination process, which converts seawater to drinking water, can be “environmentally disruptive,” due to its byproducts and  use of non-renewable energy sources, without designs like the one Nipun and his team have created. more

Gill St. Bernard’s School in Gladstone is currently accepting applications for the 2021-2022 school year. A private, coeducational day school for students ages 3 through grade 12, GSB provides a rigorous, meaningful, and eye-opening curriculum to all. The bucolic campus is the perfect setting for outdoors and environmental learning opportunities. more

Noah Webster

It was on this day in 1828 that Noah Webster’s American Dictionary of the English Language was published. Webster put together the dictionary because he wanted Americans to have a national identity that wasn’t based on the language and ideas of England. And the problem wasn’t just that Americans were looking to England for their language; it was that they could barely communicate with each other because regional dialects were so vastly different.  more