Founder of NY's Feminist Bird Club to speak in Birmingham March 6

Bird watching, now typically referred to as birding, is growing in popularity, according to numerous sources.

It has become one of the fastest-growing hobbies in North America, according to chirpbirding.com.

More than 45 million people watch birds, joining other wildlife watchers in contributing nearly $80 billion to the U.S. economy, according to the most recent statistics from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

And the New York Times reported in 2018 that there are growing numbers of young urban birders who use social media to track their ornithological marks and employ such smartphone apps as Ibird or Merlin.

Now a leading figure in this movement is coming to the Magic City for a speaking engagement, thanks to Alabama Audubon.

Molly Adams — founder and president of the Feminist Bird Club in New York City — will deliver the Spring Audubon Talk in the Altec/Styslinger Learning Center at the Birmingham Zoo on Friday, March 6, from 6-7:30 p.m., according to the Alabama Audubon website

A reception will be held from 6–6:30 p.m. with Adams speaking from 6:30–7:30 p.m.

The event is free and open to the public, but attendees are encouraged to register online.

Adams will discuss the history and mission of the Feminist Bird Club, which she founded in 2016 to welcome LGBTQ+ people, women and people of color to birding.

This club acts as a safe way for birders of all backgrounds and gender identities to get outdoors in urban areas while also fundraising for basic human rights, 

After the 2018 New York Times article appeared, versions of the club were started in such cities as Boston, Chicago, Michigan, Toronto, Seattle and Buenos Aires.

Adams is also the advocacy and outreach manager for New York City Audubon, and she will discuss that group’s success in passing bird-friendly building legislation in New York City.

Adams holds an M.A. in marine conservation and policy from the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences at Stony Brook University and a B.A. in critical and visual studies from Pratt Institute, with an emphasis on sustainability and natural history museums.

For more information or to register for the event, go to alaudubon.org.

Alabama Audubon was formerly known as Birmingham Audubon Society. The members of the organization voted to change their name last fall

“As Alabama Audubon, we’ll be even better positioned to help conserve birds and educate bird lovers throughout the state,” said Lori Oswald, board president, in an October news release from the group.