Birding with Kids
This article was submitted to the MN Ornithologists Union as part of our Savaloja Grant Report. You can see the report with images here on page 7.
Each year, the MOU awards grants funded by the Savaloja Memorial Fund for bird-related projects. Projects that increase
our understanding of birds, promote preservation of birds and their natural habitats, or increase public interest in birds may
be considered for grants. Proposals that include or benefit marginalized people within our birding community (BIPOC, LG-
BTQIA+ folks, people with disabilities, etc.) are especially encouraged, as we hope to support opportunities that diversify
this community in order to better serve Minnesota’s birds and birders. The following article details a project made possible
by a Savaloja Grant.
For 10 years, MYBirdClub, a nonprofit headquartered in Minneapolis, has been introducing kids and their grownups to the excitement and fun of birding. We’ve birded with people who have never birded; who have hearing, gross-motor, and mobility challenges; as well as numerous kids who are neurodivergent. That is the joy of birding… everyone can do it!
Two guides lead each outing: experienced birders who also excel at environmental education. To erase as many barriers to access as possible, we offer all outings for free, most convenient to city bus lines, and provide quality binoculars. For the first 10 years those were binoculars provided by the MOU Youth Mentor Program so we literally could not have done it without MOU’s wonderful support.
See MYBirdClub on the trail and we don’t look like your typical group quietly ambling down the path, stopping to scan the trees and bushes. We scatter along the path and just as often stop to look at holes, poop, plants (we love Touch-me-Nots AKA Jewelweed), nests, feathers, rocks, insects, toads and turtles. The kids chatter constantly. On our last outing a 1st grader and a 1st time BirdClub kid swapped facts about Peregrine Falcons. A pre-teen debated whether he wanted to see a Peregrine Falcon or an American Kestrel more. The same 1st grader found a Spotted Sandpiper for us to ID while we helped other kids and grownups ID their lifer Green Herons.
Usually about a half hour in, kids begin to walk ahead together chattering non-stop while the grownups mosey behind. We like it that way. The kids get to experience nature at their own pace with their peers. Because we always have two guides along, both groups have a guide to help them along.
MYBirdClub offers more than birdwatching. Among other adventures, our young birders have attended naturalist-led programs about winter adaptations, crafted their own birds and feathered dinosaurs, and discovered how many M&Ms and Oreos they’d have to eat if they ate like a chickadee in winter.
They’ve thrilled at a live falconry demonstration. We also enjoyed a Raptor Center program where they experienced a Red-Tailed Hawk being trained to fly between perches. During our migration game the kids get banded, eaten by a cat, stalled by weather and helped along by rehabilitators and birdfeeders.
Since the beginning of MYBirdClub we have striven to inspire the next generation of naturalists and conservationists. Along the way, we’ve discovered these kids continuously inspire us and make every day birding an exciting adventure.
You can learn more about MYBirdclub at www.mybirdclub.org or by emailing Amy at MYBirdClubInfo@gmail.com