NVBA NEWS BLOG
Welcome to the blog for Northern Virginia Bird Alliance, a wealth of resources about northern Virginia birds, wildlife, habitat conservation and restoration, native plants, wildlife-friendly gardening, advocacy and more.
What Do We Do About John James Audubon?
Drew Lanham writes about the complexities of J.J. Audubon and his history of white supremacy in the spring issue of Audubon Magazine.
Photo: Great Egret, Adrian Brandon
Drew Lanham writes about the complexities of J.J. Audubon and his history of white supremacy in the spring issue of Audubon Magazine. As we commemorate Black Birder’s Week 2021, this article offers so much for all of us, and especially birders, to think and “grapple with” now .
“The founding father of American birding soared on the wings of white privilege. The birding community and organizations that bear his name must grapple with this racist legacy to create a more just, inclusive world.”
Great Egret, Adrian Brandon
Is This Land Your Land?
Prince William Conservation Alliance held a community conversation on July 12, “Is This Land Your Land?” with keynote speaker, Dudley Edmondson, who presented information and ideas on why African Americans and other People of Color might not think so.
Photo: Rusty Moran
Prince William Conservation Alliance held a community conversation on July 12, “Is This Land Your Land?” with keynote speaker, Dudley Edmondson, who presented information and ideas on why African Americans and other People of Color might not think so.
Originally planned as an in-person event, the conversation was held as a live webinar with community organizations and citizens. The recording is here
Dudley Edmondson is the author of book, “Black & Brown Faces in America’s Wild Places,” profiling African Americans in nontraditional vocations and avocations in the outdoors.
Program Sponsors included: Prince William Conservation Alliance with the NAACP Prince William, Todos Supermarket, Northern Virginia Community College, Virginia Native Plant Society, Unity in the Community, Coalition to Protect Prince William, Prince William County Parks, Wetland Studies and the National Park Service Prince William Forest [National] Park.
Birding while Black: Understanding our Different Experiences
We think these resources from the National Audubon Society offer a helpful introduction not only for our ASNV board but for anyone who wants to better understand how the outdoors and specifically birding, is not equally safe and welcoming for everyone, especially for people of color.
Photo: Camilla Cerea
Resources from National Audubon
David J. Ringer, Chief Network Officer for the National Audubon Society, shared these resources with Audubon chapters around the county. We think they offer a helpful introduction not only for our ASNV board but for anyone who wants to better understand how the outdoors and specifically birding, is not equally safe and welcoming for everyone, especially for people of color.
Read, watch, and share these pieces about birding while Black:
What White Birders Can Learn From Amy Cooper About Their Own Racism by Hannah Waters
Corina Newsome and the Black Birders Movement from The New Yorker
Jason Ward’s essay on how the woods can be perilous for Black people
Journalist Brentin Mock’s interview on birding as a Black man
Buy copies of these books and have discussions with your chapter board:
Caroline Finney’s Black Faces, White Spaces: Reimagining the Relationship of African Americans to the Great Outdoors
Dr. Ibram X. Kendi’s How To Be an Antiracist
Dr. J Drew Lanham’s The Home Place: Memoirs of a Colored Man’s Love Affair with Nature
Recognizing and Celebrating Black Birders
After the video of a white woman making racist threats against Christian Cooper, a black birder in Central Park, a group of black professionals working across science, technology, engineering and math known as BlackAFinSTEM, organized #BlackBirdersWeek from May 31 – June 5.
Photo: Red-winged Blackbirds and European Starlings, Amy Watts/Audubon Photography Awards
By Lisa Mackem
After the video of a white woman making racist threats against Christian Cooper, a black birder in Central Park, a group of black professionals working across science, technology, engineering and math known as BlackAFinSTEM, organized #BlackBirdersWeek from May 31 – June 5. The effort resulted in nearly nine hours of Instagram and Facebook Live events and received international attention with over 50,000 viewers and thousands of questions.
Corina Newsome, a field biologist and one of the 30 or more Black Birders Week organizers, wrote an article for Audubon about embracing difficult conversations and building a truly inclusive outdoors. “We have seen the discomfort of white hikers and birders when they encounter us, sometimes suspicious and fearful, other times shocked we’re even there,” said Newsome.
Online events in addition to Black Birders Week and conversations at hashtags like #BlackInNature, #BirdingWhileBlack and #BlackWomenWhoBird received an enormous and positive response, and Newsome was encouraged. “We are at the cusp of a turning point that embraces human diversity as joyfully as the diversity of feathered creatures. To get there, white people must value black lives and hear our voices and lean into uncomfortable conversations about racism and privilege that follow. The birding community must show that it is not neutral.”
Throughout the week, black birders shared their own disturbing encounters with hostile white people and with police officers while they were birding. These experiences included being followed, watched or threatened. Some black birders are hesitant to bird in certain areas, or go birding alone. Black birding panelists also took turns describing their personal happy places to bird – where they saw their favorite birds, or an impressive, colorful diversity of birds.
A frequent objection to #BlackBirdersWeek was the suggestion that birding should not be politicized and white birders don’t “see color.” Sheridan Alford, a graduate student in natural resources responded that putting the “political” label on the objection was dismissive, used because the objector simply didn’t want to see the issue. “I think putting that [political] label on it is dismissive and putting a blanket over it, because you don’t want to see it anymore. ‘Political’ is just a cop-out.” Newsome said this objector rejected her humanity, which she wanted to bring into the conversation. Drew Lanham, author, ornithologist and professor of ecology and conservation, said, “The point is not to create Black birders; it’s to realize the diversity of thoughts in nature.”
The American Bird Conservancy is acting on its following statement: “ABC not only celebrates the diversity of birds, but also the diversity of all who celebrate and conserve birds. We unequivocally condemn racism in all of its forms, including threats toward people of color who seek to enjoy nature.”
Sheridan Alford asked white people who consider themselves allies to people of color to try and make those people comfortable. “Go talk to them...start with something like ‘What’s the last cool bird you’ve seen?’ Just an icebreaker.” Christian Cooper said that birders should just help each other. “The birds don’t care. Why should we?”
Additional resources for combating racism and building inclusivity:
Why celebrating Juneteenth is more important now than ever
“For Our White Friends Desiring to Be Allies”