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Teaming research with education to promote bird conservation |
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Teaming research with education to promote bird conservation |
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A Conference on Increasing
Sponsored by Black Swamp Bird Observatory,
Anyone who has attended large gatherings of birders, or spent time at popular birdwatching sites, is likely to have noticed that the birding community tends to be fairly homogenous. We don’t see many birders who are African-American, Hispanic, Native American, Asian-American, or members of other minority groups. This same lack of diversity has been noticed in many other aspects of outdoor recreation, from camping and hiking to nature study. The board and staff of Black Swamp Bird Observatory believe that more diversity would be a good thing. As America becomes more ethnically diverse, the same thing will have to happen to birding and outdoor recreation if we’re going to continue to have broad support for conservation. Therefore, we are proud to be co-sponsors of a one-day conference featuring people who are doing something about this issue.
Held at the Ward
Pavilion at Wildwood Preserve, this conference will highlight
practical approaches to the issue. The registration cost of $40
includes a series of morning presentations by experts, a catered
lunch, an early afternoon panel discussion involving community
leaders, and a late afternoon field trip on the grounds of Wildwood
Preserve. The conference is designed to be of particular value to
two groups: those involved in nature education and outdoor
recreation who wish to reach more diverse audiences; and those who
are already communicating with diverse audiences and who wish to add
more of an element of outdoor recreation and nature education.
However, the event should also be of broad interest to teachers,
youth group leaders, community leaders, interpretive naturalists,
and others.
Featured Presentations
John C. Robinson What happens when it is no longer just species or unique habitats, but environmental conservation itself, that is endangered? This is the concern raised by award-winning ornithologist and wildlife biologist John C. Robinson. In this presentation based on his latest book, Birding for Everyone: Encouraging People of Color to Become Birdwatchers, Robinson explains why minority involvement in environmental issues will become ever more vital to long-term conservation efforts and the preservation of our natural resources, and he explains the value of birding as an entry point for increasing environmental awareness.
In his work as a professional nature photographer, Dudley Edmondson often found that he was the only African-American present at popular outdoor destinations. This experience led him to seek out others, interview them, and profile them in his book Black and Brown Faces in America’s Wild Places. In this presentation, Edmondson will discuss what has caused the great divide between people of color, conservation stewardship, and outdoor recreation. His talk will include actual audio excerpts from those he interviewed, speaking of their experiences in the outdoors and why they feel that people of color are nearly absent from this landscape. These insights should lead to more understanding of the steps necessary to increase diversity in the outdoors.
Tamberly Conway and Maricruz Flores
The “Amigos del
Bosque” (Friends of the Forest) program in Texas has had great
success in reaching out to the Latino community. Looking toward the
future of recreation management and outreach to diverse communities,
Conway and Flores have identified the need to create clear pathways
that will assist front-liners, educators and managers in efforts to
improve communication that fosters tangible connections for Latino
visitors in recreation-based settings. Information developed from
research and field-based studies will provide participants with
cultural content and associated activities that will help to improve
communications and cultivate constituent development and networking
with Latino communities.
Last updated on
Monday, April 05, 2010 |
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Black Swamp Bird
Observatory is a 501(C)3 organization dedicated |
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