Chicago Ornithological Society

Good afternoon, 2020 spring birders. In the midst of this strange and difficult spring, with suffering and trauma and chaos continuously in the foreground, I was recently reminded that inspiration and determination and goodness rumbles quietly in the background, like a reassuring generator.

The Chicago Ornithological Society held a webinar on April 9 to discuss inclusivity in birding. Over 80 people tuned in. Three entities were invited to participate: Feminist Bird Club, Birdability, and Wild Indigo Nature Explorations. Of course I enjoyed talking about Birdability and the ways in which birding is important for people with mobility challenges. But, listening to the other presentations and reading the ongoing chat so impressed me, reminding me that a lot of good people are continuing to do good work.

At the close of the presentation, I felt hopeful and inspired and proud of those people.  Each one of us is so much more powerful than we realize.

I also felt that my world had grown larger and smaller at the same time. Larger in that I'd been part of a nationwide presence. Smaller in that I had been virtually face to face in real time with inspiring people all over the country, singing a verse of the same song. Pretty powerful.

Suffice it to say I left the meeting and got to work.

Stay safe, everyone.

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Chicago Ornithological Society, part 2

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Waiting for the White Wagtail in Austin