Black Birders Week is May 25-31st. Join us for a Black-led nature walk! Volunteer guides will introduce you to Sweet Springs and its bird life. No experience necessary — just comfy shoes and curiosity. Please register here.

Black Birders Week began in 2020 to highlight Black nature enthusiasts and to increase the visibility of Black birders, who face unique challenges and dangers when engaging in outdoor activities.

More on Black Birders Week from the National Museum of African American History and Culture

“On May 25, 2020, Christian Cooper, was confronted by a white woman and her dog while birdwatching in New York City’s Central Park. After Cooper requested the woman put her dog on a leash, the woman responded by calling the police and filing a false police report. Cooper’s recording of the incident quickly went viral, overlapping with recent incidents of police brutality such as Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and George Floyd (who perished the same day).  

American ornithologist, Corina Newsome, responded to the event on twitter by saying, “For far too long, Black people in the United States have been shown that outdoor exploration activities are not for us.”  The response to the tweet by a collective of Black scientists and nature lovers was the first-ever Black Birders Week, a social media event intended to raise awareness of African American participation in outdoor activities and the challenges they face.”