In my post Surprising Numbers, I commented about statistics on
birdwatchers and how, according to surveys, 94% of birdwatchers are
white. In Birding for Everyone - Encouraging People of Color to Become
Birdwatchers, birdwatcher and ornithologist John C. Robinson addresses
this very issue. Mr. Robinson is a birdwatcher, an ornithologist, and an
African-American who, in the first third of the book, shares with us when he first developed an interest in birds, how a person begins birdwatching - including the items necessary (binoculars/field guide) to get started -
then introduces his ten step system for bird identification. In sharing some of his personal experiences watching birds, I frequently found myself recalling similar experiences in my birding adventures.The remainder of the book is devoted, first, to his research into the reasons for the lack of participation in birdwatching by members of the target ethnic groups. Next we meet Hispanic, Asian American, and African American birders who were interviewed for the project in order to learn how they became involved as bird enthusiasts. Finally, Mr. Robinson offers some suggestions on how we might all work to encourage increased diversity in the world of birding.
Well written and very readable, the book reminded me of efforts by my former Audubon chapter to try to spark interest in birds by African Americans in our area (Daytona Beach). Though I have been gone nearly three years and cannot say how successful it has been, our first formative steps were to provide feeders and seed to a branch of the county library. This library was located in a predominantly African American neighborhood where we held our board meeting. Volunteers from my former chapter have also been working with the environmental education program teaching high school students about birds. Efforts such as these are some of things we can do as birders to help increase participation by a broader spectrum of the population.
If you are reading this blog, you are probably interested in birds and nature, and you are also probably very aware of the pressures our environment is under. By working together to expand the birding community, in addition to introducing a larger group of humanity to the joy of birding, as a bonus we will get more people caring about our planet's long term health. If you belong to an Audubon chapter, bird club, or work with young people and want to reach out in your community sharing the wonder of watching birds, Birding for Everyone is a great way to get started!
