PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — It’s Black Birders Week at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, and there’s a week’s worth of fun and educational activities for all to explore.
The event takes flight May 28 and flies through June 3. It celebrates Black nature enthusiasts and aims to increase the visibility of Black birders who may face challenges when engaging in outdoor activities.
It was created in response to a 2020 incident in which Christian Cooper, a Black bird watcher, had the police called on him by a white woman after he complained about her dog being off-leash.
Maurice Baynard, vice president of Community Science at Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, says the positive thing that came out of that incident is that people started to take up birding as an act of resistance.
“So they might not have considered birding before, but once told that there is a group of people who feel like you shouldn't be in this space, they moved into that space aggressively.”
And they have been running the event every year since. While there, people can access library books, get a free birding pack and go out with a guide for a guided tour.
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Baynard says “there’s no wrong way to bird,” and that the activity has plenty of benefits for both physical and mental health.
“You can lower your heart rate, it turns out that puts you in a space of less stress. And so not just the aesthetics, but also the physical activity that helps your physiology sort of be in a better space.”
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