Nextgen Birders for Conservation: A New Program Targeting Younger Birders

Photo: Morgan Peterson

Tina Dudley and Libby Lyons 

ASNV is excited to announce the official launch of Nextgen Birders for Conservation (Nextgen). This new program aims to cultivate the next generation of birders and conservationists by providing opportunities for younger birders to meet, socialize, learn, and bird together. 

In the 2016 “Birding in the US Report,” the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service found that the average age of a bird watcher in the United States was 52 years old, and the greatest number was in the 55+ age group. As ASNV looks to the future, we see the need to engage more young birders to carry the torch of conservation, citizen science, and education. Inspiring the “next generation of naturalists and conservation advocates,” is a key goal in ASNV’s newly adopted strategic plan. 

This is where Nextgen comes in. To reach younger audiences, ASNV is hosting Nextgen on Meetup, a platform for finding and building local communities. Here is the link to our page on Meetup. 

Nextgen aims to connect young birders, including any young people who enjoy wild birds, with their peers. We welcome people who are new to the hobby, loaning out binoculars during our events to beginners. Since the beta launch in April, Nextgen has attracted over 65 members with various levels of birding experience. Members include new birders, nature enthusiasts, photography hobbyists, aspiring ornithologists, natural resource professionals, and experienced bird walk leaders. 

Nextgen outing at Leopold’s Preserve. Photo: Morgan Peterson

The Nextgen event schedule will include a mix of activities and formats, both peer-focused events and events where Nextgen members will join regularly scheduled ASNV programs. Upcoming events include backyard birding on Lake Audubon and a Wingspan game night. Most Nextgen events include a social component to encourage connections and to counter the isolation some younger birders feel when enjoying a hobby more commonly practiced by an older generation. 

The Nextgen leadership team includes Adam Jenkins, Tina Dudley, Emerson Milam (a member of ASNV’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee) and Andreana Lin. Introduce yourself to the newest member of the leadership team, Andreana Lin, in this member spotlight. We are optimistic that as the group grows its members will join ASNV in promoting conservation and citizen science projects. We encourage Nextgen members to consider volunteering on an ASNV committee or joining our Board of Directors. 

Help us make the Nextgen Birders for Conservation group a success. The group is targeted at younger people with an interest in birds, birding or conservation. Join us and steer younger birders you know in our direction. We also are looking for a few birders with 5+ years of birding experience who can serve as mentors. Interested individuals can sign up as mentors here. 

Member Spotlight: Andreana J. Lin, Age 22

Photo: Courtesy of Andreana Lin

Tina Dudley

Meet Andreana J. Lin, a member of ASNV’s recently launched program to engage younger birders, Nextgen Birders for Conservation (Nextgen). In addition to bird watching, Andreana’s hobbies include breakdancing, baking, and karaoke. She’s a 2022 graduate of George Mason University with a B.F.A. in Creative Writing and a double minor in Conservation Studies and Professional and Technical Writing. She was a University Scholar, one of only 20 students in her class to receive a full tuition scholarship to GMU, and graduated with an impressive 3.96 GPA. 

Andreana had a run-in with some geese as a toddler, making her wary of birds during her childhood. It wasn’t until she took Prof. Stephanie Lessard-Pilon’s birding practicum at Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation in 2020 that she found a passion for birding. As a project for that class, Andreana created a wooden model comparing wingspans and other facts about selected birds. The model is now on display at the Shenandoah Valley Discovery Museum. She credits her weekly bird walks with Prof. Lessard-Pilon for opening her heart and mind to the beauty of birds and the natural environment.

On how birding benefits her life, Andreana says, “Birding has given me the ability to perceive my everyday life more vividly. I notice the rustling in the shrubs. I notice the wing bars on a northern mockingbird, the chitter-chatter of European starlings, the cat-like wails of gray catbirds, and the owl-like coos of mourning doves. I notice the beetles scurrying on the ground. I see my surroundings through a brighter, bolder lens full of natural curiosity, warmth, and inspiration, and I have birding to thank for that.” In encouraging new birders, she recommends, “Go birding in your everyday life -- in your backyard, your neighborhood, your town, your city. You can bird with just your eyes and ears on your walk to school just as much as you can with a $200 binocular set at a marsh or forest.”

It can be challenging to have a hobby outside the norm for your age group, which is why Andreana was thrilled to find Nextgen on Meetup. Andreana has attended almost every Nextgen event held so far and is on the leadership team organizing future events. She offers a glowing review: “Really love this group! Nextgen is such a welcoming, adaptable, and diverse group with a wide variety of events. I’ve been inviting my friends and little brothers to the events as well!” 

As a recent graduate, Andreana also welcomes the networking opportunities Nextgen offers. She is eager to explore career paths where she can combine her skills in program management, community organizing, and telling stories to benefit birds and the environment. Through Nextgen she can connect with other ASNV members, many of whom have had successful careers in the environmental and conservation fields and may be able to help her reach her goals.

Nextgen members, from left to right: Sam Criscuolo (23), Sohan Tamang (28), Maheen Hussain (22) and Andreana J. Lin (22), attending the Birding by Ear Field Trip led by Colt Gregory. Photo: Tina Dudley.