On a grey Sunday morning in May I welcomed a small group of women to the Green Mountain Audubon Center in Huntington, Vermont for a morning of Inclusive Birding. Spring migration was well underway and I was worried that some small, olive-colored flycatcher was going to throw me for a loop, being unidentifiable to me, but then I remembered the purpose of this morning. 

We were gathering as part of Powered Magazine’s Inclusive Outdoors series on this day during Audubon Vermont’s annual Birdathon (a big day of birding). (Learn more about Powered Magazine: click here.) The day also coincided with Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Our purpose was to come together with other people of color and enjoy comradery and a morning of hiking and nature. It’s hard to shake toxic behaviors (like feeling that I have to be an expert on every bird)and I have appreciated all the folks who have been sharing their voices this year about how they enjoy nature and calling out barriers to access.  

We began on the porch with introductions and small talk, but then stayed on the porch because a Scarlet Tanager pair decided to grace us with full, unobstructed views of themselves. They appeared to be carrying nesting materials, which was a bonus! Ruby-throated Hummingbirds came to drink at the feeder and a Wood Thrush and Least Flycatcher sang from their usual places near the Audubon office. We took a leisurely pace to talk birds and nature and jobs and renewable energy, the latter because one attendee worked in the field and others had questions about going solar. Our conversation reminded me of a survey from a few years ago, that found that people of color were more concerned about climate change, yet were not usually approached by environmental organizations as part of their target audience.

There was no pressure to see the most birds or the "best" birds. I pointed out distinctive songs and directed attention to birds that were in view as we wound around the Arboretum Trail and Warbler Trail. The Black-throated Green Warbler was particularly well-behaved and sang its “zee, zee, zee, zoo, zee!” for us along our whole walk. We paused to look it up on the Audubon app (click here to download the app) and in an old-fashioned Sibley’s guide to take a good look at distinguishing features. I tried to describe “robin-like” songs, those that seem to go on musically in phrases like that of the American Robin, while a Red-eyed Vireo sang continuously from the forest. While looking it up on her phone, Sung-Hee Chung exclaimed “It has whiskers!” It was a perfect moment of inquiry and wonder.