Birding for a Better World

                                    

     *free review copy* 

Title: The Feminist Bird Club's Birding for a Better World: A Guide to Finding Joy and Community in Nature

Author: Sydney Anderson and Molly Adams

Publisher: Princeton Architectural Press

Release Date: 9.5.23

Publisher’s Summary 

A celebration of birding as an inclusive activity for everyone, from organizing members of the Feminist Bird Club.

Birding is for everyone. That is the sentiment on which the Feminist Bird Club (FBC) was founded in 2016 and the spirit that is celebrated in this original and timely book. In these pages, Molly Adams, FBC founder, and Sydney Golden Anderson offer readers:

• A celebration of birding and the outdoors
• Examples of how inclusive, affirming, and joyful an activity birding can be
• Awareness of the crucial inclusivity issues facing birding communities today
• Related ideas for radical inclusivity and how to break down barriers around birding for marginalized communities
• Information on the ecological challenges facing birds and all life on earth including habitat loss and warming temperatures
• Actionable steps everyone can take toward environmental justice
• Journaling prompts throughout to offer moments of self-reflection
• Ninety original illustrations from the FBC community

The Feminist Bird Club's Birding for a Better World illustrates how anyone can engage in the universally available activity of birding, and support equity and environmental justice at the same time, making an excellent gift or self-purchase for seasoned birders and beginners alike, as well as for nature lovers, social justice activists, and anyone seeking actionable information about accessibility and inclusivity in the birding community.

My Review

I love watching my hummingbirds at their feeder and trying to identify different birds in my backyard and I subscribe to a bird magazine, but I don't think I'm a "birder." Ok, after reading that sentence I realize that maybe I'm in denial. However, when I saw this as an instant download in Edelweiss, I had to check it out. Full of cute illustrations, this was the most fun and relatable book about birds I have ever read. It also opened my mind to the overlaps and disconnects between social justice and birding. I definitely recommend this book to any birders or people like me who like birds but aren't quite ready to claim the title of "birder" just yet.