April Bird of the Month
By Douglas “Birdman” Gray, Outdoor Afro Contributor
As I reflect on my birding experiences over the last month, I’m greatly challenged once again to select a “Bird of the Month”. I’ve had some wonderful experiences while birding over the last month. Not only have I bird-watched with some great friends, but I’ve also seen some birds that have a certain…“WOW!”…factor about them.
This month’s bird? I have to go with the American White Pelican. This is a compelling choice because, and I could be wrong, but I don’t think there have ever been so many American White Pelicans reported in Indiana in a single month. Indiana’s renowned birding expert, Dr. Lee Sterrenberg even said, “Indiana is currently awash with American White Pelicans.”
These pelicans were indeed reported in many locations, and in good numbers. There were at least 12 individual birds that showed up at Eagle Creek Park. There were also places like Goose Pond Fish and Wildlife Area in Linton, Indiana and other locales that had counts in the “hundreds”.
From a habitat perspective, pelicans are usually associated with seashores and coastal regions, so some may find it strange to have a “pelican” here in the Midwest. However, the American White Pelican will indeed hang out around large inland lakes and rivers, even here in the Midwest.
And what a great bird this truly is. The American White Pelican is indeed one of the largest birds in all of North America. It can weigh up to almost 30 pounds and has a wingspan that can exceed 9 feet (that’s actually a foot more than that of the great Bald Eagle).
American White Pelicans are very distinctive in their appearance. Even non-birders can easily recognize them because of their massive size, extremely large beaks, and bright white plumage (except for black on its wings that is usually only seen during flight, or whenever the bird spreads its wings).
I believe there are still some American White Pelicans hanging around. If you get the opportunity, head out and try to catch sight of this magnificent creature. I still haven’t met the person who after seeing one doesn’t say…“WOW!”
And thanks to Marty Jones for the great photographs!
Douglas “Birdman” Gray has been birding almost all of his life. He grew up on a family farm near Clarksville, Tennessee, where they grew crops ranging from apricots to wheat, and most things in between. They also raised chickens, guineas, pigs, horses, and a cow named…….Apples. Doug’s grandfather identified the birds they would see daily on the farm.
Doug now resides in Indianapolis and works in Parenteral Engineering with Eli Lilly and Company. Most of his current birding takes place in Indiana, with a concentration on Central Indiana, where he leads bird walks for “Backyard Birds”. Doug can be reached at 317-255-7333.
Why It's Important to Connect Youth AND Their Families to the Outdoors
I think a lot about the journey that led me to form a deep connection with the outdoors, and now see clearly how fortunate I was that my family had a strong connection to land and nature, and how my parents trusted institutions like the Girl Scouts, and our local recreation center to help me connect deeply with my environment. Had I not received this kind of support and encouragement from home throughout my childhood, my interactions with nature might have been less relevant to my daily life, and I would not have the lasting positive effects of nature I enjoy today.
Lately I have been having some lively discussions with colleagues about the trend to focus on youth in the outdoors. Most agree that connecting youth to nature is essential to creating a new generation of environmental champions, but too often programs do not consider the involvement of parents and caregivers of youth, who are essential to help sustain long term engagement with the outdoors, and who may have the need to connect meaningfully with the environment for their own enrichment.
Today, my own school-age children love nature and especially enjoy camping, but their relationship with nature evolved within the security of sharing outdoor experiences with me over time. At camp, under a canopy of a dark night and serenaded by the sounds of nature, I am near my children; sharing stories, soothing fears. With me in nature, my children always know they are safe and understood. And because of my own developed connection to the outdoors, I have the motivation and resources to lead them outside again and again.
Connecting youth with their families to nature can help address fears and perceptions and cultural relevancy, which are widely recognized in the field as important barriers to lower before a relationship to the outdoors can be built. From the perspective of some communities, sending children away alone for overnight outdoor experiences might be a no-go, but going together as a family might be a more inviting concept.
Family Camp has always been an important vehicle to help some communities feel more comfortable with the idea of sending their kids away by participating first together as a family. For instance, Y.E.S. Families is a program that enriches Richmond, California youth and their parents through camp. They believe that youth, and the adults around them need and deserve opportunities to develop deep connections and supportive relationships with one another; and experiences in nature, contribute to building developmental assets that enrich their relationships when families return home. They understand that nature provides families a space for reconnection and healing not typically found within hectic schedules in the urban environment.
Yes, it is important to get children and youth outside. But in order to move the needle toward increased and sustainable participation in the outdoors, especially among traditionally underrepresented communities, parents and caregivers must be central to the mix, and encouraged to create and define their own connections to nature that moves beyond permission slips to full participation.
Besides camp, what are some other ways might families participate in outdoor experiences together?
Women of Color Going Backpacking? Oh Yeah!
Originally posted on Oakland Local
Welcome Outdoor Afro guest blogger CB Smith, who shares her personal connection to natural spaces, and why it's important to support Balanced Rock, who provides the unique chance for women of color to connect with the outdoors on their own terms.
In this blog post, I am encouraging you to support a retreat for Women of Color...even if you are not a Woman of Color yourself. First, I need to tell you a little bit about what this kind of experience can mean and why it's important.
After attending High School in Ann Arbor, Michigan I moved to Atlanta, Georga to attend Spelman College, an historically black, all female school. People often ask me why I went to Spelman College. In an era of racial and gender advancement, why would a young black woman choose to segregate herself? Truth is, I can't really say why I chose to go Spelman over any other school. I honestly don't remember. But looking back on the time I was there, I can definitely identify how I benefitted from the experience.
Spelman gave me a chance to learn about my culture from a circle that was larger than my family or my neighborhood. It gave me the opportunity to study subjects like African Civilizations not offered at many other schools. In addition, many standard subjects were approached from a unique perspective. For example, an Education Theory class taught by Martin Luther King Jr.'s sister, Dr. Farris. This opened up us students to have discussions about race, gender, and class that were life-changing for me.
Yet, the most important benefit of my time at Spelman was the chance I got to experience myself in a new environment. I had always attended schools where I was in the minority, not just as an African-American, but as a mixed race child. I had also always been a tough and smart girl surrounded by (mostly) insecure boys. As a colored child in the 70's, I was often one of the "integrators" at the school. Teachers told me and my family how surprised they were at my intelligence, and sometimes even punished me for exceeding their expectations.
Being at a black college for women took me away from all that. Spelman allowed me to see what I looked like, acted like, and felt like without the influence of those factors. It was sometimes a challenge. At one point, my own image in the mirror began to look pale, yellow and sickly to me. It was because I was surrounded by so many beautiful women who were more chocolate and caramel than myself. My own standard of beauty had shifted away from blonde Barbie, Marilyn Monroe, and Cindy Crawford.
Racism and sexism did sometimes rear their ugly heads at the college, but I could never use them as an excuse. If a teacher didn't like my work, I didn't have to wonder if it was because I was a woman in a "man's world." I never had to worry that administrators or grant officials didn't like black people. So when I wasn't selected for certain programs or opportunities, I was able to use the rejections to make my work stronger. This ethic has actually protected me from subsequent racism and sexism - I simply ignore it and do a good job anyways.
So, flash forward a decade or so. I have moved to possibly the most integrated city in the country, Oakland, California. Two years ago, a good friend of mine invited me to this Women of Color Backpacking Trip in Yosemite. I couldn't afford to go, so I passed on the email to some friends and heard from her "You should have been there." Last year, I was invited again, but the trip was scheduled at the same time as a family visit, so I couldn't go. Again I passed on the email. One of my friends went and wrote back to me about what wonderful experience it was and thanked me for suggesting it to her saying, "You should have been there." This year, another good friend of mine invited me to this Women of Color Backpacking Trip in Yosemite. When I opened the message, I realized it's time. I love camping and hiking, but have never been on this type of mind-body-spirit program with a group of my peers. This year I will be there.
When I got accepted to College, I didn't know how I would pay for the 4 years. I didn't know how they would change me. But I'm so glad I went. Now I, and other women like me, have an opportunity to get away for a bit. To walk and workshop; to learn and grow together.
I hope that you will help support the Women of Color Backpack Retreat in Yosemite this summer. You can read more about the program here or attend our first fundraiser this Saturday, March 23 or simply donate online here.
If you do plan on coming to the fundraiser, please do RSVP on the Facebook page or with an email so we can make sure to have enough Korean BBQ tacos to go around. They're amazing and sure to go fast.
About CB Smith-Dahl
CB Smith-Dahl (aka Ms. Smitty B) is an award-winning filmmaker, photographer, and educator who has always put the community at the center of her work. In 1997, she founded Community Bridge Video. As Oakland Local's Community Media Manager, she creates new media content for the site. Her work with Oakland Local Academy teaches and engages youth and community members and organizations in useful media skills.
Elk Play in the Mud
An Outdoor Afro community member just shared this clip with me as a fun reminder of how all creatures enjoy the mud:
April 2nd - Let’s G.O.! (Get Outside) in Oakland, California!
From sea to shining sea, on every plain and foothill, leaders in every community will stand together and have FUN OUTSIDE as part of the Children and Nature movement’s month long youth-led initiative!
As you know, my own family recently had a terrific time at a local Wild Zone. Now I am thrilled to help support such a wonderful opportunity for kids to enjoy the outdoors once again in my native Oakland, California:
Family Play Day in the Wild Zone
April 2, 1-4 pm
PAL Camp, Skyline Blvd, Oakland
Family Play Days are opportunities for children, teens and adults to play creatively together in nature. Activities include: building forts and fairyhouses, making sculptures from natural materials, playing in the mudpit, digging holes, balancing rocks, and inventing games in a beautiful natural area. These types of play were loved by previous generations but are rarely experienced by kids today. For more information: www.wild-zone.net.
Directions: The PAL Camp on Skyline Blvd. is located between Roberts Regional Park and the Chabot Space and Science Center. Enter through Chabot’s overflow parking lot. Click for the map!
Local sponsors and partners: Police Activities League (PAL), Children in Nature Collaborative (CINC), Wild Zones, Outdoor Afro, Bay Area Wilderness Training and Oakland Parks and Recreation.
Let’s G.O.! is an initiative of the Children and Nature Network’s Natural Leaders Network, in partnership with REI, The North Face, U.S. Fish and Wild Life and Sierra Club.
Get Off the Path and Play!
March Bird of the Month
By Douglas “Birdman” Gray, Outdoor Afro Contributor
Last month’s Bird of the Month was a duck (American Black Duck), and my birding over last month somewhat compels me to remain with this family of birds (anatidae).
As winter is winding down, and temperatures are trending upward, ducks returning north stop at once frozen waters for the feeding opportunities. Just yesterday, while out at Eagle Creek Park here in Central Indiana, I was able to observe rather easily, 14 different species of ducks at the bird sanctuary. I was actually wishing that I had someone who rarely watches birds with me, just to give them an opportunity to see such a varying assortment of wonderful waterfowl. Most non-birders would have been simply amazed at the diversity of ducks, because they may have the false assumption that the only duck on the planet is the “Mallard.”
Seeing this multitude of dabblers and divers makes it a bit difficult to select one as "Bird of the Month," but here it goes…
The featured bird this month is the Hooded Merganser.
The Hooded Merganser is a wonderful bird! These birds are secretive, quiet, and a bit wary; therefore, it can be quite difficult to get good looks at them without a spotting scope. However, I've been fortunate enough to get within 50 feet of a few and get some awesome looks!... And one is not disappointed when getting a good look at this bird. The males sport an elaborate white crest, bordered in black; which it raises and lowers like a fan. Black and white plumage accented with chestnut down its side, makes this showy creature, in my prejudiced opinion, one of the most handsome of birds.
Besides being quite stunning to look at, one of the things that impress me most about these birds is their ability to be swimming on the water one moment and flying at breakneck speeds the next, with just a few flaps of its wings. The rapid wing-beats of this bird gives it a “buzz-like” appearance when in flight.
If you’re interested in getting a glimpse of the Hooded Merganser, you have a pretty good opportunity, as they should be around for a couple of months. Good luck!!!
Douglas “Birdman” Gray has been birding almost all of his life. He grew up on a family farm near Clarksville, Tennessee, where they grew crops ranging from apricots to wheat, and most things in between. They also raised chickens, guineas, pigs, horses, and a cow named…….Apples. Doug’s grandfather identified the birds they would see daily on the farm.
Doug now resides in Indianapolis and works in Parenteral Engineering with Eli Lilly and Company. Most of his current birding takes place in Indiana, with a concentration on Central Indiana, where he leads bird walks for “Backyard Birds”. Doug can be reached at 317-255-7333.
An Urbanite Discovers the Outdoors
For Ray Burks, outdoor adventures in college forever transformed her relationship with nature.
Here is her contribution to Outdoor Afro in words and in pictures.
As an ubanite born and raised in a concrete jungle, trips to the real wilderness were few and far between. Going out in nature just felt very unnatural. That all changed when I went to the University of Northern Iowa and graduate school in the midwest. The "norm" was outdoor activities if the temperature was above 30 F and nothing was falling from the sky. I discovered camping did not have to be a huge undertaking, it was casual weekend trip. My last year in college as a chemistry major, I got to do science outdoors through UNI's Water Project and being in nature no longer felt so unnatural.
Now, I get out in the great outdoors as often as I can. Being married to a Midwesterner who fishes, snowboards, hikes, camps, boats and any-other-outdoor-hobby helps too! We live in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, a great place for a beach lover (me), mountain lover (husband) and outside lovers (our dogs).
Once place we all enjoy is Whidbey Island. We headed to Double Bluff Beach, a beautiful stretch of beach with stunning views of the Olympic mountain range. Double Bluff Beach has an off-leash dog park, along with plenty of interesting marine life for people and pups to enjoy (or chase after). For a few hours, we all got to feel far away but were only a short ferry ride away from bustling Seattle. That's a perfect fit for this nature loving urbanite!
Ray Burks is a Forensic Scientist who lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and canine companions. Follow her on Twitter @RadiumYttrium
Creative Ecologies: A Group Residency + Public Conversation
Image by Amy Franceschini
Sunday, March 6, 1PM
Admission FREE | Mess Hall Cafe Open
Reservations are not required, but we invite you to click here as a courtesy RSVP
Invite Friends via Facebook
Join Creative Ecologies in a round table discussion and presentation by artists and creative thinkers from across the country who address the complex relationship between humans, cultural production, and the natural environment. As part of an initiative exploring ways that residencies catalyze collaboration, participants will spend two weeks prior to the event in residence at Headlands, living, thinking, and working together.
As a group, participants will examine issues on-site in the Marin Headlands portion of the Golden Gate National Recreational Area, in the greater Bay Area, and throughout the world-at-large. Areas of exploration include New Definitions of the Commons: Land Use & Appropriation; Larger Cycles of Resource Management: Waste Disposal and Recycling; Big Bad By-Products: Toxic Waste Prevention and Mitigation; Alternative Systems of Sustainable Agriculture & Human Foodways; How Far Do We Go? Urban Growth & its Limits.
T. Allan Comp (AIR ‘00), U.S. Department of the Interior
Amy Franceschini (AIR ‘03), Future Farmer and artist
Cynthia Hooper, Eco-artist
Patricia Johanson, Environmental artist
Philip Ross (AIR ‘03), Critter Salon founder and mushroom artist
Susan Thering, Professor of Landscape Architecture, University of Wisconsin, Madison
Daniel Tucker, AREA Chicago co-founder
Rosten Woo, Founder and Former Executive Director Center for Urban Pedagogy
Creative Ecologies is part of Humans and Other Species, the first of several themed program initiatives highlighting common concerns in public events and artist projects at Headlands this season and beyond. This Spring, four of our programs offer rare insights into coexistence, discovery, exploitation, and other interactions among humans, other species, and the environment via collaboration, performance, music, and mixed media.
The Rose That Grew From Concrete
By Tupac Shakur (1971-1996)
Did you hear about the rose that grew from a crack in the concrete?
Proving nature's law is wrong it learned to walk with out having feet.
Funny it seems, but by keeping it's dreams, it learned to breathe fresh air.
Long live the rose that grew from concrete when no one else ever cared.
We love this poem as it wraps its parable in nature to remind us of what is possible in spite of the odds we sometimes face. Nature is a generous teacher in that it models a perseverance and beauty we can know is possible for our own lives.
Memories of Summer Camp
Our newest Outdoor Afro contributor, Justice Fergie, recalls fondly her years at camp, and what it means for her own children today.
My Girl Guide troop at sleepaway camp.
That's me in the bottom left-hand corner.
Don't laugh!
Ok, go ahead.
Remember sleep-away camp? Some of my best childhood memories are from spending summers making friends, singing campfire songs, and making friendship bracelets at sleep-away camp. My Girl Guide troop (the Canadian version of Girl Scouts), was very active and one summer we had the opportunity to camp at a site owned by a Hungarian couple out in the wilderness. My mom dropped me at the bus we were taking to the campsite and I trotted off, bedroll, homemade poncho and sit-upon in hand. I had an amazing, enriching experience that I will never forget. Yes, we had to use lats and got bitten to the hilt by mosquitoes, but I wouldn't trade that experience for the world. To this day - and I'm not exaggerating - I haven't tasted a better Hungarian Goulash than the one that our campsite hosts made for us over an open fire at camp. Or maybe it just seems that way because I was having a blast.
Another summer, I accompanied my sister to a sleep-away camp for the Deaf. It was easily one of the best times of my life. We went whale-watching, dissected a nurse shark, made popcorn and berry
necklaces with Native Americans, and - of course - had the requisite boy-girl end-of-summer dance. I remain in contact with many of those fellow campers and cherish the memories we made.
Fast forward to 2011. I'm a mom of 3 children and I'm just itching for them to be able to go away to camp like I did. But here's the thing - it's a different time now than when my sister and I went away to camp. The world is almost indisputably a scarier place. I don't know if I would feel comfortable sending my kids off for an extended period of time nowadays. And another thing - my husband never went to an overnight camp. In fact, he was barely allowed to go to sleepovers with kids that weren't family. So naturally he is 100% against the idea of a sleep-away camp for our brood.
I'm saddened at the thought that my kiddos won't be able to experience camp the way I did. Sure, they can do to day camps, and maybe a heavily chaperoned 1-night overnight camp here and there. But will they be able to run into a cabin and compete with friends to choose a bunk that will be theirs for the next 3 weeks? Will they be able to lie under the stars in a sleeping bag wearing matching friendship bracelets with a newfound friend? Will they write me postcards telling me how much kayaking sucks? Or will their knowledge of the freedom and free-spiritedness of sleep-away camp have to rest with me?
Justice Fergie is a wife, lawyer and supermom to 3 beautiful children. She's also a foodie, social media junkie and co-founder of Be Blogalicious. Visit her at JusticeFergie.com or follow @JusticeFergie on Twitter.