There are plenty of ways for people to experience the joys of Black Birders Week, but for those who would like to be guided, Buffalo’s Black Birders has the perfect event to consider.
For those not familiar with Black Birders Week, it was conceived as a way for black nature enthusiasts to engage in the outdoor activities that they love, without the anxieties that can sometimes come along with the territory. An example of the type of anxiety that I am referring to was brought to the public eye when Christian Cooper (a black birder) was accosted by Amy Cooper (a white dog walker) in Central Park in May of 2020. The incident sparked public outrage, and fueled the inaugural Black Birders Week, held from May 31 to June 5, 2020.
Buffalo’s #BlackBirders week walk is part of a national effort and is being held in partnership with the WNY Land Conservancy and Buffalo Chapter of the Feminist Bird Club.
On Sunday, May 28, from 10:00am to 12:00pm, three of Buffalo’s Black Birders – Marcus Rosten, Schuyler Lawson, and Michelle Lawson – will lead a bird watching event at Red Jacket Riverfront Park as part of Black Birders Week (Sunday May 28 to Saturday June 3).
“Last year, we focused on celebrating lifelong journeys and connections made through birding,” said Nicole Jackson, one of this year’s #BlackBirdersWeek planning team co-chairs. “This year, #BlackBirdersWeek is taking you on a tour, focusing on themes like, how Black birders share their joy of birds through a variety of means of expression, history and culture, and citizen science. For all members of BlackAFinSTEM, birding has been an incredible journey in many different ways, and we know this to be true for other Black birders throughout America and the diaspora. We would like to engage and share the stories of as many Black birders as we can, uplifting their connections to birds. This year we are Flying Full Circle!”
Here are the event details:
The event is free and open to the public and will provide an opportunity for attendees to learn about birding while promoting diversity and inclusion in the field of bird watching. Priority registration given to BIPOC, but white allies may register starting on May 27th. Online registration is requested – register here. This link also includes more information about the walk and bios for the leaders.
Red Jacket Waterfront Park is located at 20 Smith St, Buffalo, NY 14210
For additional information and background information on #BlackBirdersWeek, please visit www.blackafinstem.com.
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