Thanks to NCPR for featuring our recent event for Black birders, which you can read or listen to here. Their story discusses how about two dozen participants gathered at John Brown Farm State Historic Site in Lake Placid to celebrate Black Birders Week — despite the rainy skies and muddy trails.
The walk was led by passionate birders like Stephan Roundtree, Vanessa Rojas, Giselle Pemberton, and Tamara Jolly, each of whom brought a unique perspective to the day. They shared not only their birding knowledge, but also their personal experiences navigating the outdoors as people of color. As the article shows, this event wasn’t just about birdwatching — it was about making space for curiosity, learning, and joy.
Images from the NCPR post
For many participants, it was their first time birding in a group that centered Black voices and experiences. That mattered. As Tamara Jolly noted, simply seeing someone who looks like you in an outdoor leadership role can open doors. It can make the forest feel more welcoming.
We’re grateful to all who came out, and to our partners at John Brown Lives!, Adirondack Diversity Initiative, and Northern New York Audubon. We hope this is just the beginning of more inclusive, enriching time spent in nature together — binoculars in hand, ears tuned to the trees.