#BlackBirdersWeek is continuing to inspire new generations of birders and nature-lovers. This week is increasing visibility of Black birders recreating or conducting fieldwork in the outdoors. The birds that visit and reside in the National Marine Sanctuary System connect our country's ocean, Great Lakes, and coasts.

For Black Birders Week, join us on an interactive tour of birds in your sanctuary system by visiting: https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/may18/birds-across-the-nmss.html

Yellow-rumped Warbler ♂️ Join me, Jeannine Laing of the Franklin Park Tennis Association and other park friends, Sunday, June 5th, 8am to 10am for a Bird Walk in Franklin Park in celebration of Black Birders Week. 🐦 Co-sponsored by the Franklin Park Coalition, Brookline Bird Club, Franklin Park Tennis Association and the Emerald Necklace Bird Club. @franklinparkbos @the_brookline_bird_club Information for participants: Please bring binoculars, if you have them. Limited loaner binoculars will be available, provided by Mass Audubon’s Boston Nature Center @massaudubonboston. We recommend wearing comfortable shoes, dressing for the weather conditions and wearing a hat with a brim. The nearest restrooms are at the Franklin Park Golf Course Clubhouse. In the event of heavy rain, the walk will be cancelled. Meeting location: Meet by the tennis courts next to the Shattuck Picnic Grove on Circuit Drive. Street parking available and accessible via bus and subway (Forest Hills stop on Orange Line). For more information, contact Michael Bryant at [email protected] #birdinginmassachusetts #emeraldnecklaceparks #franklinparkboston #springmigration #bostonmassachusetts #birdwatching #birding #birds #Nature #birdinginboston #bostonwhileblack #birdwatcher #bostonbirdwatchers #blackbirdersweek #bostonevents #naturemanmike #birdphotography #massaudubon #springmigration2022 #birdsofinstagram #audubonsociety #nature_worldwide_birds #birdingphotography #warblercrazy #yellowrumpedwarbler #warbler #eye_spy_birds #nuts_about_birds #bbcearth #best_birds_of_ig (at Franklin Park, Boston, Mass.) https://www.instagram.com/p/CeV8j4yMiQl/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Meet the Cuban Trogon (Priotelus temnurus)! It’s Cuba’s national bird, with plumage that matches the nation’s flag. There are around 35 species of trogon in the family Trogonidae, and many inhabit tropical or subtropical regions around the world. The Cuban variety is common across the island’s forest and woodland habitats, where this bird munches on fruits and insects. Males and females are fairly similar in appearance, with the main differences being that females are slightly smaller in size and tend to have a lighter shade of red on the belly. #PostABird . Learn more about #BlackBirdersWeek by following @blackafinstem! . 📷 Photo: Jerry Oldenettel https://www.instagram.com/p/CA5-yFNAkTo/?igshid=1vwmdsquh2m9g

For their HawkWatch International collection photoshoot, @birdcollective worked with two New York City denizens who thrive on outdoor culture: Mikey and Eyeris. Together they started @outsideclothesnyc , an Instagram-based collection of stories about New Yorkers who love being outside. Their work reveals the beautiful collision of urban and natural environments, and the sometimes simple and often ingenious ways people inhabit them. Outside Clothes also serves as an informational hub for outside activities going on in cities. “the culture belongs the people”, “you want to learn about your neighborhood? go to the park”, we need to have public gathering spaces for people to relax, create, co-exist, they all have something to offer…” - Outside Clothes. #dapperQ #blackbirdersweek #blackbirders #queerbirders #birding https://www.instagram.com/p/CWmWPQgOT_9/?utm_medium=tumblr

I drew the Kirtland's Warbler in May and have only now managed to 'gently reference' it. At the time I wrote the below, where I explain why I selected this particular bird. This drawing is included in a new virtual exhibition at Spencer Museum of Art in Lawrence, Kansas. Explore the exhibition here: https://spencerart.ku.edu/artists-respond "In New York, on the 25th of May in the midst of the crisis, Christian Cooper went to Central Park to go birding, what transpired was a racially motivated event, Amy Cooper called 911, suggesting she was being attacked by an African American man, after an altercation about a dog and a leash. She weaponised her racism and a backlash in-sued. This happened on the same day George Floyd was murdered by police officers in Minneapolis, resulting in a much- needed escalation of the #BlackLivesMatter movement. On social media, as #BlackBirdersWeek emerged in response to the events in Central Park, I wanted to draw a Kirtland’s Warbler in solidarity. Cooper mentioned the bird in an interview with The New York Times. This led me to research the symbolism of birds in popular culture. I began exploring the personal and political meaning of birds and I am developing research into the naming, categorisation, colonisation, capture and breeding of birds throughout history. This research bolsters the reading of the birds posted on social media and the personal and political become entwined. What began as a personal consolation for my own mental turmoil has (according to the messages I’ve received) offered some solace to the people that follow me. I am acutely aware of how lucky I am during this time and I’m hugely grateful to have the luxury of expressing myself creatively whilst others struggle to survive. My motivation as an artist has returned and in some small way, I hope these drawings contribute to the creative response artists a driven to make in troubled times." My research continues on #BirdsCanFly For the curious here is where you can see all the birds I've drawn in #Lockdown https://thepansyproject.myshopify.com/collections/frontpage?sort_by=title-ascending https://www.instagram.com/p/CEuLgFVlHPH/?igshid=10zea7wqumfxp

A black child grins widely while holding a falcon bigger than his head. A black ecologist stands in waders beside a beaver pond. He’s studying how to help wildlife thrive. A black evolutionary biologist holds a wriggling bat. She’s working in Belize, studying the processes that led to the diversity of life on Earth.

These photos and hundreds more bird facts, questions and experiences are flooding social media. They are part of #BlackBirdersWeek. It’s a movement that is working to promote black birders and nature fans. The social media campaign runs May 31 through June 5. There are Question & Answer sessions with black birders. There’s a Facebook livestream discussion of birding while black. It also offers prompts for sharing photos of birds and being outside in nature on Twitter and Instagram.

#BlackBirdersWeek comes during nationwide protests. People are protesting the deaths of George Floyd, Tony McDade, Breonna Taylor and many other black people at the hands of the police. To the founders of #BlackBirdersWeek, the protests increase the importance and urgency of their campaign.

The founders are a group of black individuals who work in science or related fields. They got together on Twitter, and use the account @BlackAFinSTEM. They began planning #BlackBirdersWeek after May 25. That’s the day that George Floyd was killed. On the same day, Christian Cooper was birding — looking for birds in New York City’s Central Park. Cooper — who is black — saw a white woman with a dog. The dog was not on a leash. Park rules require dogs be leashed.

When Cooper asked the woman to leash her dog, she refused. Soon, she yelled that she was calling the police. She was going “to tell them there’s an African-American man threatening my life.” A confrontation with the police could have been very dangerous for Cooper.

Other black birders found Cooper’s experience very familiar. “What happened to him could have happened to any of us,” says Danielle Belleny. She is a wildlife biologist in San Antonio, Texas. She is also a cofounder of #BlackBirdersWeek.

In honor of #BlackBirdersWeek, the Cornell Lab is offering free courses on bird identification - purchase through Sunday June 7:

Episode 288: Nothronychus, the most complete therizinosaur

I Know Dino Podcast Episode 288: Nothronychus, the most complete therizinosaur, Plus the true size of #dinosaur claws and Huinculsaurus, the youngest known Elaphrosaur

Episode 288 is all about Nothronychus, the most complete therizinosaur ever found.

Big thanks to all our patrons! Your support means so much to us and keeps us going! If you’re a dinosaur enthusiast, join our growing community on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/iknowdino.

You can listen to our free podcast, with all our episodes, on Apple Podcasts at: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast…

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In a separate conversation, #BlackBirdersWeek co-organizers Juita Martinez and Danielle Belleny outlined some simple ways that white birders can be welcoming to Black birders.

Acknowledge, smile, and be friendly Strike up a sincere conversation, as one birder to another Don’t make assumptions about a birder’s skill based on their appearance Speak up for Black birders in the field if you witness others being disrespectful or intolerant Expand your flock: invite others to join your bird walk

How to take it farther? Martinez and Belleny also noted that two fundamental obstacles for Black people interested in birding are the availability of binoculars; and the accessibility of safe, local, urban greenspaces. Working to increase access to these two basic resources is essential.—Reporting by Jenna Curtis, eBird Project Co-Leader.

Today is the day we #NameThatShearwater!

Since 2013, researchers at NOAA's Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary have been using satellite technology to study the movements, life cycle, and feeding and foraging habits of great shearwater seabirds in the Gulf of Maine ecosystem. This year, birds will be fitted with the transmitters, and we needed help naming 14 of them! Tune in to The BlackAFinSTEM Collective's #BlackBirdersWeek2021 Facebook Live at 1 pm EDT to hear more about the tagging project and find out the new names for this year's great shearwaters. Follow along and stay connected all summer as we track the birds around the Atlantic! (Photo: David Wiley/NOAA. Image description: A researcher holds a recently tagged shearwater onboard a research vessel.)

Tomorrow's the day! Join me, Jeannine Laing of the Franklin Park Tennis Association and other park friends, Sunday, June 5th, 8am to 10am for a Bird Walk in Franklin Park in celebration of Black Birders Week. 🐦 Co-sponsored by the Franklin Park Coalition, Brookline Bird Club, Franklin Park Tennis Association and the Emerald Necklace Bird Club. @franklinparkbos @the_brookline_bird_club Information for participants: Please bring binoculars, if you have them. Limited loaner binoculars will be available, provided by Mass Audubon’s Boston Nature Center @massaudubonboston. We recommend wearing comfortable shoes, dressing for the weather conditions and wearing a hat with a brim. The nearest restrooms are at the Franklin Park Golf Course Clubhouse. In the event of heavy rain, the walk will be cancelled. Meeting location: Meet by the tennis courts next to the Shattuck Picnic Grove on Circuit Drive. Street parking available and accessible via bus and subway (Forest Hills stop on Orange Line). For more information, contact Michael Bryant at [email protected] #birdinginmassachusetts #emeraldnecklaceparks #franklinparkboston #springmigration #bostonmassachusetts #birdwatching #birding #birds #Nature #birdinginboston #explorenature #birdwatcher #bostonbirdwatchers #blackbirdersweek #bostonevents #naturemanmike (at Scarboro Pond) https://www.instagram.com/p/CeZz5m_rsPD/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

What bird is pink, has a spoon-shaped bill, and inhabits marshy environments? The Roseate Spoonbill (Platalea ajaja)! This eye-catching wading bird might be spotted in mangrove keys or mudflats, across the southeastern United States, the Caribbean, and the coasts of Central America. Like flamingos, the Roseate Spoonbill gets its rosy color from its diet of carotenoid-rich crustaceans, including shrimp. It’s a social bird that travels in flocks and lives in large groups, often alongside other aquatic birds, like ibises and storks. Today’s the last day of #BlackBirdersWeek; follow @blackafinstem to learn more about their upcoming programs! Photo: Bernard Dupont https://www.instagram.com/p/CBEE_NlgQWo/?igshid=1ape6ln2q0jef

I understand one of the best things I can do right now is say, “I see you.” I spent some time seeing Christian Cooper today. I’m sorry. I see you. #christiancooperbirdwatcher #christiancooper #birder #blackbirdersweek #blacklivesmatter #policebrutality #drawing #art #ink #sketch #alyssasarttherapy #resistthroughart (at Oakland, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/CBFfLtbh54m/?igshid=my49px2ibn9f

Several events, opportunities, and experiences led to "Expanding Voices: Perspectives on Birding", this year's art show theme. One of those was the interaction between birder Christian Cooper and a white dog walker in Central Park. Another was one of its consequences, #BlackBirdersWeek. These, and more, highlighted how birding experiences can be dramatically different depending on the color of your skin. We listened, read, learned and continue learning what needs to change and how to become a more inclusive birding community. Christian Cooper, Alitha Martinez (@ariotstorm), Mark Morales (@mark_morales11) and Emilio Lopez (@emannland) created _It's a Bird_, a graphic novel based on Christian’s experience. The comic is the first in the REPRESENT! series. The comic is published by DC and can be accessed for free in several places online. With permission from Christian Cooper and the publisher, we have been given the opportunity to display a few of the pages as part of the art show. (It’s A Bird © DC and Christian Cooper. Shown with permission.) @thedcnation @dccomics @comixology #comics #birders #birdingwhileblack #storytelling #FeaturedArtist #ExpandingVoices (at Birds of Vermont Museum) https://www.instagram.com/p/CUFnhO6L2hs/?utm_medium=tumblr

'#BlackBirdersWeek takes on systemic racism' - Portrait of co-founder Sheridan Alford for July's edition of High Country News. • '...They hope to boost visibility of Black nature enthusiasts, highlight the value of racial diversity and promote dialogue within the larger (and largely white) birding community.' • #portrait #illustration #illusrator #colour #drawing #pencil #ink #artwork #figurative #editorialillustration #art #nature #birds #environment https://www.instagram.com/p/CClWBirFaE-/?igshid=1l3zc6q0q1cms