Young biologists from Islip High School avidly participated in the third annual Seatuck Birding Challenge on Sept. 24. Teams of AP biology students combed Long Island’s various ecosystems to identify as many birds as possible in 12 hours to measure the biodiversity of the area’s avian species.

The students’ bird tallies were returned to Seatuck’s Suffolk County Environmental Center in Islip later that evening, where their efforts were recognized by the professional birding community and Seatuck staff following a celebratory dinner catered by Bubba’s Burrito Bar.