Concerns have been raised about the decline of many of Canada's bird populations. Over the last 40 years, almost half of all bird species in Canada have decreased in abundance, and some groups have experienced severe declines (75-95% since 1970). Conservation of these species can be hindered by a lack of information about their populations. Bird banding is an effective and widely used method to study bird populations by attaching a small band around a bird's leg to identify individuals. Since 2013, the Vancouver Island University Bird Banding Project has operated a bird monitoring and banding project at Buttertubs Marsh in Nanaimo, and at various other locations. This project has been completely operated by over 140 dedicated VIU students and community volunteers who have dedicated over 10,000 volunteer hours to the project. These volunteers receive hands-on training in bird monitoring and banding, which is unique in an undergraduate setting. So far, over 14,000 birds of more than 80 species have been captured and banded. This presentation will highlight the project and some of its contributions towards understanding bird populations.