Black Birders Week [Stuck in Vermont 614] Last week was the first-ever Black Birders Week. A white woman threatened a black man who was bird watching in the park when he tried to get the woman to leash her dog. Time spent outdoors is incredibly important to me and has been one of the most formative and influential forces in my life. shows Amy Cooper warning she is going to tell police that “there’s an African American man threatening my life,” then calling 911 and again emphasizing the birder’s race. A young Robin redbreast (Turdus migratorius) observed in Spring 2020. Image courtesy of birdwatchingdaily.com. The value is immesurable. The resulting video shows Amy Cooper warning she is going to tell police that “there’s an African American man threatening my life,” then calling 911 and again emphasizing the birder’s race. To start, here are pictures of me birding and with my study species, the common murre pic.twitter.com/zokPwSEH6I, My favorite thing today? The National Audubon Society is supporting the initiative by co-hosting the #BirdingWhileBlack livestream conversation on Facebook on Thursday at noon and again at 7 pm ET. Black Lives Matter + Nature Connection In solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement and to respond to the call for predominantly non-black led organizations to take a break from filling up social media with our own content, we have decided to use our platform to amplify the voices of black naturalists this week. A social media campaign is celebrating African Americans taking back that space. Image: ... Black Birders Week and Beyond. When the woman, Amy Cooper, declined, Christian Cooper began filming. “I think Black Birders Week shows that the Black experience is more than trauma, that it is about pride, is about joy. “The Black experience is not one of only trauma; it is one of joy and it is one of pride and it is one of strength.”. BirdNote salutes Corina Newsome and co-organizers of the first #BlackBirdersWeek for raising awareness of the racism experienced by black birders — and encouraging diversity in birding and conservation. Black Birders’ week was created to, “start a dialogue,” Grousis-Henderson explains. That was also the day that George Floyd was murdered. Our email newsletter shares the latest programs and initiatives. I'm Chidi Paige. #blackbirder #blackinnature #blackbirdersweek pic.twitter.com/C3xRdTaWD7, Decided to create a Twitter account today to take part in #BlackBirdersWeek and show me being #BlackInNature. Think about the biological importance of diversity at any level, genetic all the way up to whole ecosystems, she explains. Connect with your colleagues around the world, Environmental literacy teaches real world skills, The hub for environmental education professional development, Sunday, May 31, 2020, 12:00am to Friday, June 5, 2020, 11:59pm. Birdwatching is open to all. Read on to see the special hashtags and events for each day. And it's basically a collective of 30 Black individuals who are nature enthusiasts, who are in STEM and in general, we just all really appreciate the outdoors,” Juita explains. We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us. Read on to see the special hashtags and events for each day. A group of Black scientists, birders, and outdoor explorers organized the campaign to celebrate Black people in the outdoors and birders specifically. Donate To Science Friday Invest in quality science journalism by making a donation to Science Friday. Through education and open dialogue, “people in the community who are white can hold each other accountable to make sure these spaces are not hostile to Black people,” Newsome says. “We all have this shared experience where we have to worry about going into the field,” says Earyn McGee, a herpetology Ph.D. student at the University of Arizona and Black Birders Week co-organizer. “For far too long, Black people in the United States have been shown that outdoor exploration activities are not for us,” she said, standing before a backdrop of lush spring foliage. Black birders in the campaign are using their passion and scientific knowledge to stand together against racism. The annual Christmas Bird Count is still on this year: plus, how the hundred-year-old community science project is guiding scientists. Black Birders Week is part of WikiProject Birds, an attempt at creating a standardized, informative and easy-to-use ornithological resource.If you would like to participate, visit the project page, where you can join the discussion and see a list of open tasks. “I’m probably the most excited about the livestream because it’s not often you get to see this kind of panel discussing this kind of topic,” McGee says. The event was created as a response to the Central Park birdwatching incident and police brutality against Black Americans. Black Birders Week: An Ode to Our Allies #BlackBirdersWeek, which began on May 31, has been a week-long event aimed to amplify Black people in every field and their experiences while outdoors. In response, Black birders, ... Black Birders Week made me more aware of the variety of challenges that racism and bigotry create for POC in outdoor spaces. Newsome says one of the chat members suggested a social media push to highlight Black birders in response to the Central Park incident, which started when Christian Cooper, an avid birdwatcher who is Black, asked a white woman to put her dog on a leash as required by park rules. In a now-infamous video exchange , a woman falsely accused Cooper of threatening violence and called the police after Cooper asked her to leash her dog. Visit your local Audubon center, join a chapter, or help save birds with your state program. Let us send you the latest in bird and conservation news. DONATE; Search for: ABA Statement on Black Birders Week and Anti-Racism Efforts. The third goal is to encourage increased diversity in birding and conservation. “We can’t even organize for one Black trauma before another one happens,”. Legal Notices Privacy Policy Contact Us. The week had been a huge success. Unless you are Black. The week of events was organized by a group of STEMprofessionals and students known as the BlackA… 6.2.2020 12:56 PM. Starting May 31, organizers of the weeklong event aim to increase the visibility of black birders across the world in an effort to celebrate cultural diversity in the birding and naturalist communities. Hello everyone! Donate to Audubon . ‎Show Science Friday, Ep Christmas Bird Count, Black Birders Week, Science Diction: Vaccine. The National Audubon Society protects birds and the places they need, today and tomorrow, throughout the Americas using science, advocacy, education, and on-the-ground conservation. It’s Friday, June 5, and #BlackBirdersWeek has been a soaring success. Black Birders Week. In just a couple of days, more than 30 people organized Black Birders Week via text, Zoom, shared documents, and volunteered time. The first Black Birders Week started on Sunday amidst ongoing protests over police brutality and racial injustice sparked by the death of George Floyd at the hands of police in Minneapolis on Monday. Learn more about the inaugural event, including the list of activities, in Bird Watching Daily. Audrey and Frank Peterman want any and everyone to get outside and get involved in the environmental movement. Homogeneity sets organisms and systems up for failure. More Australian Night Parrots Have Been Discovered, Learn to Identify Five Owls by Their Calls, Help power unparalleled conservation work for birds across the Americas, Stay informed on important news about birds and their habitats, Receive reduced or free admission across our network of centers and sanctuaries, Access a free guide of more than 800 species of North American birds, Discover the impacts of climate change on birds and their habitats, Learn more about the birds you love through audio clips, stunning photography, and in-depth text. The Twitter campaign, "Black Birders Week," runs from May 31 until June 5, with a different theme each day. On Tuesday is the #AskABlackBirder event, with a two-hour Q&A with Black birders on Twitter from 7pm to 9 pm ET, followed up with the #BirdingWhileBlack livestream discussions on Thursday, from 12pm-1:30pm ET and from 7pm-8:30pm ET. McGee conducts research near the U.S.-Mexico border and worries about encountering U.S. Border Patrol on her own while searching for lizards. In just a couple of days, more than 30 people organized Black Birders Week via text, Zoom, shared documents, and volunteered time. Last week, Black researchers and avian enthusiasts flocked to social media to participate in the first ever Black Birders Week (May 31-June 5). The first is “to counter the narrative that the outdoors are not the place Black people should be,” she says. “The only reason I and countless other people are even in a career in biology or wildlife or interested in it is because [we] saw someone like [us] doing it,” she says. Black Birders Week is a social media campaign celebrating black naturalists, and black birders in particular. “Whether it be the way the media chooses to present who is the ‘outdoorsy’ type, or the racism Black people experience when we do explore the outdoors, as we saw recently in Central Park. Black Birders Call Out Racism, Say Nature Should Be for Everyone. It’s the same for birding and the conservation movement. The event was created as a response to the Central Park birdwatching incident and what she views as police brutality against Black Americans. Donate to Audubon . The inaugural event ran from May 31 to June 5, 2020. Check out Black Birders Week’s Virtual Birding with the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Just four days after the encounter between a white dog walker and African American birdwatcher Christian Cooper, a group of approximately 30 Black scientists, birders, and outdoor explorers have created a new awareness campaign to encourage birding among more people of color.. Juita Martinez is … Blacker Birders Week events included a celebration of black nature enthusiasts, a bird fact challenge, a Q&A with black birders, a livestreamed discussion called #BirdingWhileBlack, and a day highlighting black women involved with birding and ornithology. By demonstrating that Black people enjoy these spaces too, Newsome and her collaborators hope to encourage emerging birders and scientists to pursue their passions. And a trip into the Science Friday archives for a visit from the band They Might Be Giants. We protect birds and the places they need. Bald Eagle. Corina Newsome birding along the Savannah River in Georgia. The organizers, a group of Black scientists, nature lovers, and friends, say this event will be the first of many—a springboard to shape a more diverse future for birding, conservation, and the natural sciences. MORE Prejudice might drive police or private property owners to be suspicious of or antagonistic toward Black scientists doing field work in normal clothes, The second goal is to educate the birding and broader outdoor-loving community about the challenges Black birders specifically face. Starting Sunday and running through this Friday, Black Birders Week includes. The project is called #BlackBirdersWeek, and it will take place from Sunday, May 31, through Friday, June 5. Please do not substitute this template. Membership benefits include one year of Audubon magazine and the latest on birds and their habitats. May 31 - June 5, 2020 - Learn how you can participate in #BlackBirdersWeek on Twitter and Instagram starting Sunday 5/31! Unless you are Black. The project is called #BlackBirdersWeek… With this speech, Newsome, a biology graduate student at Georgia Southern University who studies Seaside Sparrows, announced the first ever Black Birders Week. Sparked by a racist incident last week in Central Park, the new initiative aims to boost recognition and representation of Black people enjoying and studying the natural world. In response to what happened to Christian, 30 Black birders, scientists, and outdoor enthusiasts joined together to form @BlackAFinStem and launch the first ever Black Birders Week. In response, and in an effort to promote solidarity, a group of Black birders and naturalists from Black AF in STEM, organized #BlackBirdersWeek, the Twitter handle for a series of events celebrating Black birders and drawing attention to the unique issues that arise when Black individuals go … DONATE; Search for: ABA Statement on Black Birders Week and Anti-Racism Efforts. Co-organizers of the first Black Birders Week talk about the joy of the natural world and … The week ends on Friday with #BlackWomenWhoBird, a final call to build community on Twitter and beyond around birding. It is about resilience, strength and style,” James said. Many people got a taste of what life can be like for Black birders when they saw the now-famous video of Christian Cooper's confrontation with Amy Cooper, a white woman, in Central Park. There is a huge need for this conversation, she says. Birders and bird researchers have declared this week as Black Birders Week. Sarah Sloat. National Audubon Society What spurred the creation of Black Birders Week? The idea for the event grew out of a group chat with more than 100 Black outdoor enthusiasts. I've learned so much and met many amazing people through my love for nature! The project is called #BlackBirdersWeek, and it will take place from Sunday, May 31, through Friday, June 5. Five days of virtual events and activities were organized by a group… Elizabeth Kolbert on How We're Trying to Change the Ways We've Changed Nature, Innovative Bill Would Promote Regenerative Ranching in California, Birds Steal the Show in the New Netflix Film 'Penguin Bloom', How Researchers Hope to Save the Florida Scrub-Jay From an Inbreeding Crisis, The Tale of One Tiny Songbird Is Amplifying an Ancient Mayan Language, New Perils Threaten to Destroy an Embattled Desert Haven for Birds, Yes! Black Lives Matter + Nature Connection In solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement and to respond to the call for predominantly non-black led organizations to take a break from filling up social media with our own content, we have decided to use our platform to amplify the voices of black naturalists this week. The National Audubon Society is supporting the initiative by co-hosting the #BirdingWhileBlack livestream conversation on Facebook on … The first Black Birders Week started on Sunday amidst ongoing protests over police brutality and racial injustice sparked by the death of George Floyd at the hands of police in Minneapolis on Monday. Black Birders Week was a week-long series of online events, running from May 31st, 2020 to June 5th, 2020. In just a couple of days, more than 30 people organized Black Birders Week via text, Zoom, shared documents, and volunteered time. Your support helps secure a future for birds at risk. For Black birders, it was business as usual, putting the daily issues they face in the outdoors on the national stage. A #BlackBirdersWeek cofounder aims to amplify black nature enthusiasts Wildlife biologist Danielle Belleny hopes to raise the profile of black birders in a hobby often stereotyped as white Black Birders Week is a week-long series of online events to highlight Black nature enthusiasts and to increase the visibility of Black birders, who face unique challenges and dangers when engaging in outdoor activities. This is the message Christian Cooper received as he was birding in New York City’s Central Park last week… He’s also black in a world that’s almost exclusively white. Newsome says one of the chat members suggested a social media push to highlight Black birders in response to the Central Park incident, which started when Christian Cooper, an avid birdwatcher who is Black, asked a white woman to put her dog on a leash as required by park rules. , to unite and build a community of Black scientists. Just four days after the encounter between a white dog walker and African American birdwatcher Christian Cooper, a group of approximately 30 Black scientists, birders, and outdoor explorers have created a new awareness campaign to encourage birding among more people of color. Sheridan Alford, an organizer of Black Birders Week, talks with Nature about the importance of representation in nature. A website is in development. Just last week, on May 25, Cooper’s right to safely go birding in public was threatened—one of a recent string of incidents that exposed inequalities that Black people face in America. Science of Nature-Based Learning Collaborative Research Network, Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, Communication, Policy, and Strategy Tools. Time spent outdoors is incredibly important to me and has been one of the most formative and influential forces in my life. Newsome announced the event on Twitter on Friday, as well as unveiling a new Twitter account, @BlackAFinSTEM, to unite and build a community of Black scientists. Birders who aren’t Black can support the initiative by spreading the word, learning from the livestream, and retweeting the shared stories and images. Promoting Professional Development and Best Practice in EE, Bringing People Together to Create Change, Championing Environmental Education at All Levels, Communication, policy, and strategy tools, Early childhood EE and nature-based learning, Environmental Issues Forums to engage communities in constructive dialogue, Bringing new ideas and innovation to the field of EE, A series of online learning modules exploring the foundations of environmental education, Searchable directory of EE degree programs, institutions, and faculty. Black Birders Week is part of WikiProject Birds, an attempt at creating a standardized, informative and easy-to-use ornithological resource.If you would like to participate, visit the project page, where you can join the discussion and see a list of open tasks. A group of approximately 30 black scientists, birders, and outdoor explorers are raising awareness of the black birding community and are encouraging new members. The National Audubon Society had live-streamed two panels, featuring Newsome, Cooper, and other distinguished birders, to its 1.5 million followers. Celebrate Black Birders Week starting May 31st by following along on social media. What happened to Christian Cooper in Central Park could easily deter a young Black person interested in natural science and conservation from pursing those interests, she says. Prompted by the racist confrontation toward birdwatcher Christian Cooper in New York City’s Central Park last Memorial Day weekend, Black avian enthusiasts took to social media to show their solidarity. Let me add myself to the mix. Tolga Aktas is a UK-based conservation biologist who participated in Black Birders Week. With a field of incredibly talented and thought... NAAEE offers many easy ways to stay connected with... Driving excellence. Black birders encounter. A group of Black scientists, birders, and outdoor explorers organized the campaign to celebrate Black people in the outdoors and birders specifically.