This Saturday, June 5th, is the Alabama chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s Hike for Hope event. As a supporter this year, AdventureKEEN is helping to raise awareness about suicide prevention because we believe that spending time outdoors can be a healing activity. We interviewed AFSP board member Amber Henderson earlier this week to learn more about the foundation and its programs. If you’re looking for a hike in the Birmingham area, we recommend Five Star Hikes: Birmingham, 2ed by Tom Spencer from our imprint Menasha Ridge Press. Though it’s getting a bit muggy down South, these five trails offer plenty of shade as you hike this weekend in support of AFSP’s Hike for Hope.
Aldridge Gardens — Found on page 53, this 1-mile loop circles around a lake and through some beautiful gardens. You’ll probably want to walk it more than once, noticing different flowers and creatures along the way.
photo courtesy of Emily Beaumont
Moss Rock Preserve: Boulder Field — This can be found on page 94 and offers a great hiking opportunity if kids will be joining you. It offers plenty of creeks to stand in and rocks to climb on.
photo courtesy of Emily Beaumont
Oak Mountain State Park: Peavine Falls — Found on page 126 of the book, this short (but steep) hike offers a true gem with a 20-foot waterfall followed by smaller waterfalls downstream. Take Tom’s recommended longer route, over a bridge and down the Falls Creek path, for the most enjoyable descent.
photo courtesy of Emily Beaumont
Ruffner Mountain Nature Preserve: Nature Center to Hawk’s View — This is a longer (3-mile) out-and-back hike (on page 165 in the book), so take plenty of water. It’s a little more difficult than other hikes but worth it for the views!
photo courtesy of Emily Beaumont
Cahaba River Wildlife Refuge — Found on page 179, this hike will take you along a short part of Alabama’s longest free-flowing stream (200 miles total). Wear water shoes because you’ll want to walk out into the river to get a closer look at the unique and lovely Cahaba lilies (in bloom from mid-May to mid-June of each year).
photo courtesy of Emily Beaumont
As you can see, there are lots of beautiful places around Birmingham, Alabama, where you can get out and go for a walk or a hike. We hope these five hikes will inspire you to explore your local trails, as well as support and look into the work of the Alabama chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.
The Saturday, June 5th, is Hike for Hope, here in Alabama. This annual event is hosted by the Alabama chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and AdventureKEEN is a supporter this year. They have a lot going on building awareness around suicide prevention, community solutions, and helping draft governmental policies. We caught up with Amber Henderson, Board member and volunteer coordinator for the Alabama Chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and asked a few questions ahead of their Hike for Hope event.
Q:In helping people throughout Alabama, what are a few of the things your group focuses on throughout the year?
A: The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is dedicated to saving lives and bringing hope to those affected by suicide. We create a culture that is smart about mental health through education and community programs, research and advocacy, and support for those affected by suicide.
Through the work of our local volunteers, walk participants, advocates, and partners, we are helping to change attitudes about suicide and mental health. The Alabama Chapter engages with families, mental health professionals, community and local business leaders, and school administrators and faculty, as well as others interested in preventing suicide. By working together to improve the health and well-being of Alabamians, we are connecting people to resources and programs and removing barriers that stand in the way of people finding hope and healing.
Q:There are lots of ways to raise money. Why hiking?
A: Physical activity has been shown to improve mental health, and studies have indicated that spending time in nature reduces stress, anxiety, and depression. Hiking seemed like a natural choice to promote well-being.
Q:How have things been for your organization during the pandemic?
A: Navigating through the uncertainty and restrictions of the pandemic has definitely been an adjustment for us, but we feel the work we’re doing is more important than ever. We quickly adapted many of our prevention education programs to a virtual format, and since last year, the Alabama Chapter has hosted over 900 attendees through our virtual and in-person prevention education programs, speaking engagements, Advocacy Forum, and Survivor Day event.
Q:Generally speaking, how have things been for the people your group is advocating for?
A: Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in this country. It touches millions of lives—people of all ages, ethnicities, and backgrounds—but the research is clear: suicide is preventable, and the more people who stand up for suicide prevention and mental health, the more lives we can save.
It may be some time before we can fully know the extent of COVID-19’s impact on rates of suicide in 2020 and 2021, but it’s fair to say that the pandemic has created stress for people, with many feeling isolated from their loved ones and from their pre-pandemic routines. It’s also worth reminding ourselves (and others) that Black, Indigenous, and Hispanic communities in particular have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19.
The COVID-19 pandemic has presented a variety of challenging experiences for people, no matter if you have a personal struggle, are concerned about a family member or someone close to you, or have experienced a loss. It is crucial in this time that we focus on shoring up our mental health and well-being.
Q:What is the biggest challenge facing your group right now?
A: While our work and goals remain the same, our challenge now is to determine how we can best engage and bring hope to people in a post-pandemic world. We know our work is needed now more than ever. Mental health and preventing suicide must continue to be a top priority.
We are thankful for the work that AFSP is doing and hope you will check in with those around you, talk openly about mental health, and take care of yourself—you are not alone! To register or learn more about Hike for Hope, visit www.afsp.org/ALHikeforHope. To learn other ways you can get involved with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, visit www.afsp.org.
We are in this together, and help is always available. If you’re feeling alone and struggling, you can also reach out to The Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741741 or the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK.
AdventureKEEN President Richard Hunt prepares to ‘hand over’ the check to Pam French, from Binc.
“2020 was a tough year, but AdventureKEEN witnessed two silver linings,” says Richard Hunt, president. “First, we watched Binc continue its hard work to provide much-needed support to indie bookstores and booksellers. Second, we noticed that people found solace and safety while outdoors and in nature. We are thankful that our outdoors-focused titles helped those sheltering in place—and that we are able to make this donation to further Binc’s efforts.”
It can be tough to find simple ways of giving back and being effective. Binc makes that easy for all parties involved. Under the Shop Local Live Local program, all bookstores have to do is enroll. That’s it. AdventureKEEN tracks all of the purchasing and sales of AdventureKEEN books through each participating store, and at the end of the year a certain percentage of sales is donated to the Book Industry Charitable Foundation (Binc). Binc then donates that money to shop owners who need financial support to get through all kinds of personal and professional situations.
Pam French, Binc, accepts the check from AdventureKEEN.
It is that kind of awareness of well-being and care that makes this program such a great fit. Those same sentiments not only help drive why AdventureKEEN publishes the kinds of books we do, but also motivate the kinds of people who like to buy hiking, camping, biking, kayaking, and other outdoor activity books.
We hope to help readers find new outdoor activities. And if we can do that while stressing the importance of shopping locally, then we see that as a win. If we can do BOTH of those things while making more people aware of Binc and the role it plays in the book community, then it’s a win-win-win!
As publishers of outdoor adventure and travel guides, we know the value that independent bookstores add to their communities. We’ve seen their benefits first-hand. They are worth supporting.
Learn to identify the birds of Texas, and make bird-watching even more enjoyable with Stan Tekiela’s famous Birds of Texas Field Guide. This book features 140 species of Texas birds organized by color for ease of use. Do you see a yellow bird and don’t know what it is? Go to the yellow section to find out.
This new edition includes more species, updated photographs and range maps, revised information, and even more of Stan’s expert insights.
Here are some amazing birds to watch out for:
The Boat-tailed Grackle is a noisy bird of coastal saltwater and inland marshes, giving several harsh, high-pitched calls and squeaks. It eats a wide variety of foods, from grains to fish, and is even seen picking insects off the backs of cattle. The bird will even visit bird feeders!
Did you know that the Boat-tailed Grackle makes a cup nest with mud or cow dung and grass? Interestingly, the Boat-tailed Grackles in Texas and on the Gulf Coast have dark eyes. Birds farther east, on the Atlantic Coast, have bright-red eyes.
The Spotted Towhee and Eastern Towhee were once considered a single species called Rufous-sided Towhee. It is found in a variety of habitats, from thick brush and chaparral to suburban backyards, and it is usually heard noisily scratching through dead leaves on the ground for food. Over 70% of its diet is plant material. The Spotted Towhee eats more insects during spring and summer.
The Black-necked Stilts is seen year-round along the coast in Texas, and it can be found along the East Coast and as far north as the Great Lakes. The bird nests solitarily or in small colonies in open areas.
This very vocal bird of shallow marshes gives a “kek-kek-kek” call. Its legs are up to 10 inches long and may be the longest legs in the bird world in proportion to its body. Black-necked Stilts are known to transport water with water-soaked belly feathers (belly-soaking) to cool eggs in hot weather.
The bird aggressively defends its nest, eggs, and young. The young leave the nest shortly after hatching.
So grab Birds of Texas Field Guide for your next birding adventure―to help ensure that you positively identify the many birds that you see.
About the author: Naturalist, wildlife photographer, and writer Stan Tekiela has written more than 175 field guides, nature books, children’s books, wildlife audio CDs, puzzles, and playing cards, presenting many species of birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, trees, wildflowers, and cacti in the United States. With a Bachelor of Science degree in Natural History from the University of Minnesota and as an active professional naturalist for more than 25 years, Stan studies and photographs wildlife throughout the United States and Canada. He has received various national and regional awards for his books and photographs.
Also a well-known columnist and radio personality, his syndicated column appears in more than 25 newspapers, and his wildlife programs are broadcast on a number of Midwest radio stations. Stan can be followed on Facebook and Twitter. He can be contacted via www.naturesmart.com.
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If you’re stuck at home, you might, like millions of others, find yourself wanting a new hobby. Stargazing is a free, rewarding way to Be Well, Be Outdoors that you can start tonight—assuming the clouds cooperate. Better yet, you don’t need a fancy telescope or a lot of gear to get started, though binoculars and a comfy lawn chair don’t hurt.
What You’ll Need
Binoculars or a Telescope A Smartphone Bug Spray A Lawn Chair A Field Guide Stellarium (stellarium.org), a free virtual planetarium
What To Do
Stargazing is always better if you do a little prep work first. First, on the day you want to observe, check the weather to make sure it’s clear. (You’ll soon find yourself loathing clouds). Start with the moon and the planets. They are very bright, easy to find, and they make fascinating targets for binoculars or a small telescope.
Download Stellarium and enter your location to find when, and in which direction, the moon or planets will be visible. Also scope out your yard or observing area to spot where you’ll have the best vantage points.
Your east-facing view, say, might be blocked by a neighbor’s house or trees across the way, so find the best place to observe from ahead of time. For more background, peruse a field guide to get curated information an app can’t offer.
When it’s time to start observing, set up a lawn chair, slap on some bug spray, and bust out your binoculars or, if you have one, a telescope. It’s handy to have binoculars for everyone observing, and be sure everyone knows how to use them before you start stargazing. Otherwise, it can make stargazing a frustrating experience, especially for kids.
Even if you live in an area with a lot of light pollution, our nearest neighbors—the moon and the planets—always put on a good show. The moon is especially rewarding when viewed with binoculars.
For the best view, try to observe when the moon is in the first quarter or third quarter phase, and look at the “terminator” (the line dividing the moon between the illuminated half and its darker portion). There you’ll get the best contrast and can see the most detail. It’s also fun to look at a map of the moon ahead of time to get an idea of where astronauts have actually walked around! Google Moon (google.com/moon) is great for this.
If you’re patient and fiddle with the settings on your phone, you can even snap some pretty great photos by holding your phone over the eyepiece of a telescope or holding it against a binocular eyepiece (though a tripod helps immeasurably).
The Planets
When you’re viewing the planets with the unaided eye, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn will look like bright, unblinking stars. (The other planets are trickier to spot or require more advanced gear or perfect skies.)
Through binoculars, you can see the planet’s color more clearly, and you can even see objects such as Jupiter’s moons.
Through even a small telescope, the planets come alive. Don’t expect to see pristine images like those created by the Hubble Space Telescope, but if you’ve never seen the planets with your own eyes, it’s amazing once they come into focus for the first time.
Through a telescope, you can see Jupiter’s bands, Saturn’s rings, Mars and its famous red color, and Venus’s phases.
Taking photos of planets through the eyepiece of a telescope is tricky, but it’s a lot of fun to try. Even a blurry photo of Saturn feels like an accomplishment. (It’s 910 million miles away, after all.)
Once you get the photo bug, you’ll quickly learn that there are all sorts of smartphone adapters for telescopes and binoculars, and you can also start looking up deep-sky objects (think galaxies, star clusters, etc.) to observe.
Bonus:
To really wow your family, point out the International Space Station as it passes overhead. NASA runs a website called Spot the Station (spotthestation.nasa.gov) where you can plug in your zip code to find sighting opportunities, including when to look, how high up in the sky, and what general direction. The station will look like a very bright “planet” or “star” that is moving quickly across the sky. If you’re prepared ahead of time, you can even snap pictures of it as it moves overhead.
Learn to identify the trees in the Carolinas with Stan Tekiela’s famous Trees of the Carolinas Field Guide. Learn about all 153 species found in the two states, organized by leaf type and attachment. Just look at a tree’s leaves, then go to the correct section to learn what it is.
Fact-filled information contains the particulars that you want to know, while full-page photographs provide the visual detail needed for accurate identification. Plus, Stan’s naturalist notes feature fascinating tidbits and fun facts.
This new edition includes updated photographs, expanded information, and even more of Stan’s expert insights.
Here are some amazing facts about trees found in the two states:
The Red Mulberry produces large crops of fruit, providing an important food source for wildlife, especially birds. In summer, berries ripen to red and are delicious when black. The fruit is sweet and juicy and can be used in jams, jellies, and pies.
One of the most fascinating trees is, without a doubt, the Ginkgo tree, the sole surviving species from an ancient family of trees that flourished millions of years ago. Because the surviving trees were cultivated only in ancient temple gardens in China, the species remained unknown to the scientific community until the late 1700s. Only the male trees are sold and planted because female trees produce butyric acid, which makes the fruit smell foul.
Ginkgo fruit has been highly prized by some people for medicinal properties. Its leaves are often in two lobes, hence the species name biloba. It is also called Maidenhair-tree because the unique fan-shaped leaves resemble the fronds of the Maidenhair Fern plant.
Ginkgo biloba seed or fruit ready to harvest – Image
A small nonnative species that was introduced from Asia is the fast-growing Siberian Elm. Also called the Chinese Elm (U. parvifolia), it thrives in a wide variety of soils and tolerates harsh conditions.
So grab Trees of the Carolinas Field Guide for your next outdoor adventure―to help ensure that you positively identify the many trees that you see.
About the author: Naturalist, wildlife photographer, and writer Stan Tekiela has written more than 175 field guides, nature books, children’s books, wildlife audio CDs, puzzles, and playing cards, presenting many species of birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, trees, wildflowers, and cacti in the United States. With a Bachelor of Science degree in Natural History from the University of Minnesota and as an active professional naturalist for more than 25 years, Stan studies and photographs wildlife throughout the United States and Canada. He has received various national and regional awards for his books and photographs.
Also a well-known columnist and radio personality, his syndicated column appears in more than 25 newspapers, and his wildlife programs are broadcast on a number of Midwest radio stations. Stan can be followed on Facebook and Twitter. He can be contacted via www.naturesmart.com.
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Today, Nicole Hardina, author of Little Washington, takes us to the town of Waverly. Founded in 1879, the town has a population of 106.
A Complicated Past The town of Waverly received a post office and a name in 1879. Then, while other Inland Empire towns met the railroad and began to flourish, Waverly remained a lonely outpost. An early history describes it as a “little village, quiet and serene . . . remote from the scenes of turmoil and strife.” However, Waverly’s most prominent feature speaks to a history that is anything but bucolic.
Hangman Creek winds through Waverly. Uncultivated land approaches the creek’s edge. Farmed acres stop for a treeline, a rocky butte, and a soft marsh. The water looks as though it might spill over its edges, glimmering gently past farmhouses. The name was long ago changed to Latah Creek, but it’s still widely known as Hangman—and for a reason. The Spokane Historical society isn’t pulling any punches in its description: “This is the site of a murder.”
In 1858, the Spokane and Yakama tribes resisted treaty terms, and violence erupted in Eastern Washington. When the tribes defeated Colonel Steptoe’s 150 men, Colonel George Wright sent hundreds more in their place. Chief Owhi, whose son, Qualchan, was wanted for murder, tried to negotiate with Wright, who took Owhi hostage. Not knowing Wright had imprisoned his father, Qualchan entered the camp on his own peace mission, along with his wife, son, and brother. Wright ordered Qualchan hanged. The next day, Chief Owhi tried to escape and was shot and killed. In three days, Wright ordered the hangings of more than a dozen people, all of whom had approached with a white flag, symbolizing their peaceful intentions.
By the time A. D. Thayer homesteaded on Hangman Creek, evidence of the violence was long gone. Two decades later, Waverly began to flourish. The Washington State Sugar Beet Factory, established in 1898, employed 150 men. The Waverly Optimist reported in 1899 that laborers made $1.50 per day, while “skilled superintendents” earned as much as $7,500 per year, or more than $250,000 in today’s dollars.
A dam across the creek fed water to the factory. Soon the railroad came, and multiple grain producers established warehouses and elevators in Waverly. In 1900, the population had blossomed to 895. Ten years later, the sugar beet factory closed, and the bloom began to wilt.
School’s Out In Waverly today, Hangman Creek Bar and Grill is closed and boarded up. Peeling signs in the windows upstairs advertise Miss Elsie’s 5¢ baths and Doctor Yankum’s dentistry services. Concrete memorials at the park’s edge remember beloved townspeople and war veterans. In 1935, the Spokane County Pioneers Association established a memorial at the site where the hanging tree once stood.
In 1910, Washington state had more than 2,700 school districts. Not quite a century later, that number has declined by about 90%. Spokane County had some of the first schools in Washington, dating to the 1830s. The first schools often took place in settlers’ homes until a community secured funding for a dedicated building.
As the population increased, communities often abandoned their log cabin schools in favor of wood frame and, later, brick schools. As the student population grew, schools diversified, distinguishing elementary and junior-high education programs and locating them in their own schools. By 1915, Washington boasted 500 high schools.
The boom in school construction continued until the Depression, when a lack of funding put the brakes on school spending. Despite funding scarcity, many new schools were built in the 1930s as part of the Works Progress Administration. Even with the government-sponsored infusion of capital, by the end of WWII, school consolidations in rural areas had begun in earnest. After the war, urban centers grew at the expense of rural communities, and by 1946, nearly all one-room schools had closed. The Prairie View school in Waverly was one of them.
From 1904 to 1938, the school served as many as 40 students in a year. The simple, wood frame building boasted an iron stove for heat and a curved stage for the teacher’s desk. Prairie View is the oldest example of its kind in Spokane County. Long since fallen into disuse, the school malingered in a cottonwood grove, its porch sagging, wind rushing through its empty windows. Then, in 2013, preservationists decided to move and restore the decaying school. With a fundraising effort that garnered thousands in private donations, the southeast Spokane Historical society led the effort to preserve the history of public education in eastern Washington. Today, the school has a new foundation and a new roof. A modern door stands between the weather and the schoolroom. The clapboard siding is original, but the windows are brand-new. If left abandoned, nature would have taken the school back. After years of snow and neglect, the roof would have collapsed, and then the walls. Instead, the Prairie View school stands on the corner of South Prairie View Road as it curves out of, or into, town, like a greeting or parting message for visitors.
Waving Goodbye Driving through any city’s residential neighborhoods between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. can be a slow affair. When children are present, the speed limit usually tops out at 20 miles per hour. In Waverly, the school has been closed for a long time. Still, a hand-painted sign asks travelers to keep it under 25 mph. A father shepherds two children and a dog on the short walk from the park to their home. He holds the kids’ hands and they stick to the sidewalk, though mine is the only car on the road.
Waverly is the smallest incorporated town in Spokane County, and it feels like it. Visitors to Waverly might be forgiven for looking around and asking, “What makes a town a town?” There is a fire department, a Grange, and evidence of agriculture. Other than that, there’s a collection of houses, a controlled burn, a barking dog, a shuttered door, a babbling stream. There’s history here, for sure. A future feels less certain.
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Learn to identify birds in Florida, and make bird-watching even more enjoyable with Stan Tekiela’s famous Birds of Florida Field Guide. This book features 140 species of Florida birds organized by color for ease of use. Do you see a yellow bird and don’t know what it is? Go to the yellow section to find out.
This new edition includes more species, updated photographs and range maps, revised information, and even more of Stan’s expert insights.
Here are some amazing birds to watch out for:
The Crested Caracara is the largest member of the falcon family. The bird is often found in the open savanna or in tropical scrubland habitat.
The Crested Caracara mainly feeds on roadkill, often coursing (patrolling) at low elevations on roads at sunrise. It is very different from all other raptors in North America, using its legs to stalk and chase prey such as mice.
It is often seen in the company of vultures, but it glides on flat wings, unlike vultures in flight, which hold their wings upward in a semi-V shape. At night it roosts in trees.
One of Florida’s most dramatic-looking birds, commonly seen in the Everglades, is the Purple Gallinule. The bird uses its extremely long toes to walk on floating vegetation in freshwater and saltwater marshes, where it hunts for grasshoppers and other insects, seeds, and frogs. Family groups stay together, and the first brood sometimes helps raise the second. The Purple Gallinule moves out of northern Florida during winter and can be seen year-round in the southern part of the state. Individuals are known to wander well north of Florida.
Found in central Florida and nowhere else, the Scrub-Jay is well known for its cooperative breeding system in which the young from one year help to raise the young of the new year. The bird has a wide variety of raspy, hoarse calls and prefers a transitional scrubby habitat, usually of oak trees around 10 feet (3 m) tall with some openings. The Scrub-Jay is not a backyard bird, like the Blue Jay. Sadly, it is a threatened species and its population has declined up to 90% over the last century due to habitat loss.
So grab Birds of Florida Field Guide for your next birding adventure―to help ensure that you positively identify the many birds that you see.
About the author: Naturalist, wildlife photographer, and writer Stan Tekiela has written more than 175 field guides, nature books, children’s books, wildlife audio CDs, puzzles, and playing cards, presenting many species of birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, trees, wildflowers, and cacti in the United States. With a Bachelor of Science degree in Natural History from the University of Minnesota and as an active professional naturalist for more than 25 years, Stan studies and photographs wildlife throughout the United States and Canada. He has received various national and regional awards for his books and photographs.
Also a well-known columnist and radio personality, his syndicated column appears in more than 25 newspapers, and his wildlife programs are broadcast on a number of Midwest radio stations. Stan can be followed on Facebook and Twitter. He can be contacted via www.naturesmart.com.
For more stories about wildlife and nature, sign up for our newsletter now!
Little Washington presents 100 of the state’s tiniest towns. With populations under 2,000, these charming and unique locations dot the entire state―from Neah Bay along the Northwest coast to LaCrosse, a farming community in the eastern county of Whitman.
With full-color photographs, fun facts, and fascinating details about every locale, it’s almost as if you’re walking down Main Street, waving hello to folks who know all of their neighbors.
The selected locations help readers to appreciate the broader history of small-town life in Washington. Yet each featured town boasts a distinct narrative, as unique as the citizens who call these places home. These residents are innovators, hard workers, and―most of all―good people.
The locations range from quaint to historic, and they wonderfully represent the Evergreen State. Little Washington, written by Nicole Hardina, is for anyone who grew up in a small town and for everyone who takes pride in being called a Washingtonian. These towns may be small, but they have huge character!
Little Washington is Nicola Hardina’s attempt, 100 times over, to get to know the state she calls home. It’s part history, part travelogue, and a love letter to the Evergreen State.
About the author: Nicole Hardina has lived in Washington for more than 20 years, in towns big and small. Alaska-grown, she is a Seattle-based writer sharing an apartment with two cats, a guitar, and several overflowing bookcases. Her writing has appeared in Scope,Months to Years, Out There Outdoors, the Bellingham Review, Proximity, and elsewhere. She received a Grant for Artist Projects award from the Artist Trust in 2016 and is working on a memoir that is equal parts grief account and love letter to the Pacific Northwest. When not writing, she can be found on a flying trapeze or via her website, www.nicolehardina.com.
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Birding is big—and getting bigger. As topsy-turvy as this year has been, its events have shaken up enough routines to cause people to notice new things in the world, and that includes the birds flying around their homes.
Barn Swallow
Maybe the boom in new birders is simply tied to the fact that many of us are safe at home and looking out the windows at times when we’d normally be stuck in traffic commuting. Or maybe, even during quarantine, people have found that they want to get outside and, for social distancing reasons, have discovered new places to go. Birding fills that bill nicely.
Of course, it could be that in a digitally-engaged-always-on-Zoom world, people are finally waking up to what birders have always known: Birding is fun, and you’re guaranteed to see some amazing things. As a hobby, birding gets a lot right.
There’s a very low cost to get started.
There’s a low learning curve.
It works great for small groups.
It works just as well for individuals.
It takes you outside and away from screens.
Birders are introduced to more about the world around them.
It’s a hobby that you can participate in year-round.
These books for beginning birders also have information on birdseed and other bird foods. Not all birds eat the same kinds of foods, and you’ll be amazed at how the mix of birds in your yard changes once certain foods, feeders, bird houses, etc., are put into use. The guides also have information on bird nests and trees, as well as a few words on the habits and migration patterns of some of the birds in each region.
