Essays

A camouflaged whip-poor-will sits on the ground among brown and green leaves.
As the Whip-poor-will鈥檚 Chant Wanes, Our Cultural Loss Grows
May 06, 2024 — The iconic call of the Eastern Whip-poor-will has long been part of the fabric of American life, marking annual spring rituals and inspiring odes in popular music. What happens when we lose our connection with its meaning?
A woman and young girl in raincoats stand outside smiling at the camera.
Everyone Should Have a Mother's Day Birding Tradition Like This
January 30, 2023 — Mother, daughter, and granddaughter take joy in learning the spring migrant birds who show up to their annual May ritual.
An illustration of a woman and young girl crouching down looking at something in a driveway next to a house.
The Day We Didn鈥檛 Save the Starling
November 02, 2022 — In our rescue attempt, I thought I was giving my young daughters a lesson in compassion. It ended up being the reminder that I needed.
When a Battle Against an Invasive Weed Feels Like a Battle for Your Spirit
March 22, 2022 — I was feeling discouraged in life, when I began volunteering at a local park. That鈥檚 when the project鈥檚 leader, Eleanor Osgood, changed my outlook.
The Klamath Basin鈥檚 Water Crisis Is a Growing Disaster for Waterfowl
March 11, 2022 — Some of the continent鈥檚 most important wetland habitat is drying up. Without urgent action, we may be witnessing the death of a flyway.
How a Land Acknowledgment Can Correct Stereotypes of American History
November 18, 2021 — Here鈥檚 how to properly recognize Indigenous people and the land we鈥檝e stewarded for millennia.
The Wild Blue Turkey That Blew My Mind
November 26, 2019 — Appreciating the avian diversity that鈥檚 there to astound us鈥攊f only we look.
Bird Feathers and Colors