Always Be Birdin'

It's been a while, but, we’re back with the first episode of the second year of the Always Be Birdin' podcast with a vengeance. In episodes past, I called attention to the National Audubon Society article in Politico where there was accusations of racism, sexism and retaliation within the organization and I asked why isn't anyone talking more about this seeing as National Audubon is considered THE go to for all things conservation and birds.  This episode has been and remains to be my most downloaded episode, but what's changed? Since then, third party law firm, Morgan & Lewis put out their findings which called for a redistribution of power, the Union, Audubon for All, was birthed and the then Executive Director, David Yarnold, has left the organization. Other non-profit environmental organizations such as Defenders of Wildlife have followed suit and are also unionizing.  

Today I bring back two of my favorite people and past guests, Rosie Sanchez of Defenders of Wildlife and Tykee James of National Audubon, to address the question... "why unionize?" Both Rosie and Tykee talk details of where both organizations are at (neither union has been voluntarily recognized) as well as highlight some of the ways you as listeners can help.

We also get deep in conversation around what it truly means when the people in power positions refuse to listen to their workers, how that is a direct reflection on society as a whole and why it’s important to dismantle white supremacy and fear for a better future for everyone.

This episode is a call back to the discussion Rosie and I had in episode 8 and the issues I bring up about National Audubon in episode 9.

Let’s kick off year 2 of the podcast with a hard hitting BANG!

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Support Audubon For All here :

https://www.birdunion.org/

https://www.instagram.com/audubonforall/

Support Defenders United here :

https://linktr.ee/DefendersUnited

https://www.instagram.com/defenders_staff/

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Support the podcast by donating here :

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/AlwaysBeBirdin

TW: Childhood Abuse, Mental Health

On this final day of Black Birders Week 2021, I bring an earlier recorded episode from back in February of this year with Nicole Jackson. Join us and get to know one of the co-organizers of Black Birders Week 2020 as we talk about how birding and being outside can help heal and bring tenderness to those parts of us that are suffering and hurting. Nicole tells us her story, how she started to get into birds and birding, we connect over birding in Ohio and all of the many hats she wears today. Nicole is an amazing human doing amazing things like the #BlackInNationalParks initiative that stemmed from her participation in Black Birders Week.

Here's an article about Nicole and her initiative #BlackInNationalParksWeek2020 https://gearjunkie.com/news/black-in-national-parks-week-nps

and follow https://www.instagram.com/blackinnpsweek/

for this year's #BlackInNationalParksWeek2021

Follow her on IG https://www.instagram.com/nicky.j10/

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Don't forget to donate at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/AlwaysBeBirdin

to keep the podcast running and help to ensure I can pay the Black, Indigenous and People of Color that share their stories with you. 

Follow at https://www.instagram.com/alwaysbebirdin_podcast/

On this 6th day of Black Birders Week 2021, @blackafinstem has asked us to bridge the gap between past, present and future of birding. For this idea in particular, I bring you Tykee James, co-organizer of the Freedom Birders project. This project is built on the blueprint of the Freedom Riders who were Civil Rights activists who rode on buses throughout the segregated south to protest the non-enforcement of desegregated public buses. Freedom Birders seeks to change the way we bird in America and is also inspired by Black Birders Week 2020 and the Black Lives Matter Movement. Join Tykee and I as we jump into the deep end and discuss the Freedom Birders project, where it came from, why it's necessary and what it could look like for the future of birding and racism in America. 

One of the most important aspects of Freedom Birders is education. Join The Birdhouse for more https://freedombirders.org/

Follow the movement on IG https://www.instagram.com/freedombirders/

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Don't forget to donate at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/AlwaysBeBirdin

to keep the podcast running and help to ensure I can pay the Black, Indigenous and People of Color that share their stories with you. 

Follow at https://www.instagram.com/alwaysbebirdin_podcast/

Today I have the pleasure of chatting with Courtney Akinosho, Founder and CEO of Black Girls Bird, a wonderful organization whose mission is to provide Black and Indigenous non-men of all ages access to nature while promoting holistic well-being utilizing the joy of birding and photography. Courtney opens up about the origin of her organization, why it is so deeply important to her and we can take pain and turn it into positivity. Day 5 of Black Birders Week centers safety in the outdoors for Black people. Courtney and I speak candidly, openly and deeply about how nature is often weaponized by white men, white women and Black men and how we can't have the conversation about safety in the outdoors without centering Black women's experiences and voices and what it looks like to truly have the conversation in a deep and meaningful way without hiding and tiptoeing around the true dangers outside. 

Be sure to visit https://blackgirlsbird.org/

and follow Courtney at https://www.instagram.com/blackgirlwwings/

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Don't forget to donate at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/AlwaysBeBirdin

to keep the podcast running and help to ensure I can pay the Black, Indigenous and People of Color that share their stories with you. 

Follow at https://www.instagram.com/alwaysbebirdin_podcast/

We are celebrating day 4 of Black Birders Week 2021 and my guest today is Indigo Goodson. Indigo stay in da flow in her ever present social media where she shares her birding stories and advocacy for the Black community. Join us as we talk anti-conformity through fashion in birding, finding joy in the little-big moments out in the field and why it's imperative to listen to the black experience and hold it valid despite differing experiences.

Follow her on IG at https://www.instagram.com/indigoindaflow/

and read her latest article with Medium here https://medium.com/nappy-head-club/i-flew-across-the-globe-to-finally-blend-in-f227466d0b5d

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Don't forget to donate at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/AlwaysBeBirdin

to keep the podcast running and help to ensure I can pay the Black, Indigenous and People of Color that share their stories with you. 

Follow at https://www.instagram.com/alwaysbebirdin_podcast/

In celebration of Black Birders Week and the many identities and activities in the birding world, I chat with Day Scott. Day is a celebrated bird photographer, writer and naturalist. Today we chat about nature in LA, why it's important to show up differently for bipoc youth in the outdoors, traumatic brain injuries and the joy and the pain that Day has found in utilizing birds for healing. 

Be sure to visit Day's website here https://www.thewildernessgoddess.com/

and follow her on IG at https://www.instagram.com/thewildernessgoddess/

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Don't forget to donate at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/AlwaysBeBirdin

to keep the podcast running and help to ensure I can pay the Black, Indigenous and People of Color that share their stories with you. 

Follow at https://www.instagram.com/alwaysbebirdin_podcast/

We're kicking off Black Birders Week 2021 with a good friend of mine, Alex Bailey. Alex is the Founder and Board President of a wonderful organization called Black Outside Inc. based in San Antonio, Texas dedicated to setting up black youth in the outdoors where they can connect to nature and their culture in a safe and fun way. Join us as we adventure down memory lane of our college years together, how we found ourselves in the outdoor world and how the freedom of birds elicits the joy in birding for black folks. 

Be sure to visit https://www.blackoutside.org/

and follow them on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/blackoutside_inc/

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Don't forget to donate at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/AlwaysBeBirdin

to keep the podcast running and help to ensure I can pay the Black, Indigenous and People of Color that share their stories with you. 

Follow at https://www.instagram.com/alwaysbebirdin_podcast/

Today I sit down with Raquel Velez, founder and CEO of Alpine Parrot, a company who's mission is to celebrate larger bodies in the outdoors. This celebration is done specifically through providing hiking pants that are comfortable and useful for bodies that aren't represented or thought about in the outdoor apparel world. Raquel and I dig into the falsity of the term obese, how health and fatness do not go together and how dangerous of an idea this can be for BIPOC folks in the outdoors. We also talk about the Kea, the worlds only alpine parrot and why it's the inspiration for the company's name. Join us and visit AlpineParrot.com to contribute to the now live Kickstarter campaign. 

https://alpineparrot.com/

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/alpineparrot/ponderosa-pants-hiking-pants-made-for-womens-sizes-14-24

https://www.instagram.com/alpineparrot/

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https://www.buymeacoffee.com/AlwaysBeBirdin

https://www.instagram.com/alwaysbebirdin_podcast/

Yamina Nater-Otero is the newly appointed secretary for Amplify The Future and I can personally attest to how lucky they are to have her on board! Her passion and drive for uplifting, supporting and educating BIPOC youth is unmatched. Today, we dig into what it really means to be a birder and what the act of birding can look like versus what it's historically been painted as having to look like.  We talk a lot about how great today's youth are and how important it is for them to realize the wonder of the natural world that is directly around them. Join us! 

Check out Yamina's written works: 

https://ny.audubon.org/news/what-does-%E2%80%9Coutdoorsy%E2%80%9D-look

https://ny.audubon.org/news/latinx-heritage-month-para-las-aves

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Follow me on IG @alwaysbebirdin_podcast

Donate at buymeacoffee.com/alwaysbebirdin

Today I sit down with Orietta Estrada and Tykee James who are the Co-Chairs for Amplify The Future and The Black And Latinx Birders Scholarship. These two are powerhouses in their own right but, together, they have created something that is a force in the birding and outdoor worlds. Join us as we dig into where Amplify The Future is headed, how to apply for the scholarship and what it really means to have an organization that is for BIPOC, by BIPOC and why it is so important in an age where DEI work is a trending hashtag instead of a core value. 

Check out Amplify The Future here: https://amplifythefuture.org/

IG & Twitter: @birdersfund  

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Follow me on IG @alwaysbebirdin_podcast

Donate here : buymeacoffee.com/alwaysbebirdin