Cat Fribley

As part of Mental Health Awareness Month this May, we’re proud to highlight voices from the Birdability community and our collection of resources that center the mental health benefits of birding, especially for disabled birders. These 30 days of offerings, made possible with generous support from the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, are rooted in lived experience, scientific research, and the deep belief that everyone deserves access to the outdoors and wellness. The month will culminate with a live webinar that centers the ways that birds and the outdoors. Birdability Captain Dr. Karaleah Reichart Bercaw offers a deeply thoughtful reflection on how mindfulness and birding can support emotional well-being especially for those living with disability, chronic illness, trauma, or mental health challenges.

Mental health is shaped by many things, including disability, chronic illness, trauma, systemic oppression, and social isolation. The World Health Organization reminds us that “although most people are resilient, people who are exposed to adverse circumstances including poverty, violence, disability, and inequality are at higher risk of developing a mental health condition.” But we also know that a meaningful connection to nature, and to birds in particular, can offer comfort, calm, and connection. Birding is for every body and every mind. And whether you’re just beginning or have been watching birds for decades, here are some concrete, disability-affirming ways to incorporate birding into your mental wellness practices:

This week I met the sequoias for the first time and was reminded that we don’t have to stand tall to be strong. These ancient trees stay alive and upright by holding onto one another. Their roots are wide, not deep and it’s their community that keeps them standing. In our latest blog post, I reflect on the wisdom of sequoias, the mental health benefits of birding, and the power of access, interdependence, and showing up for each other.

As part of Mental Health Awareness Month this May, we’re proud to highlight voices from the Birdability community and our collection of resources that center the mental health benefits of birding, especially for disabled birders. These 30 days of offerings, made possible with generous support from the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, are rooted in lived experience, scientific research, and the deep belief that everyone deserves access to the outdoors and wellness. The month will culminate with a live webinar that centers the ways that birds and the outdoors 

Eventually, my access needs shifted again. The cane gave way to a forearm crutch, and I slowly started to accept that mobility aids weren’t just “last resorts” they were tools for liberation. But still, I grieved. I missed the days when I could walk farther without pain. I missed the illusion of not being “that disabled.” And then my access needs changed again. I began using a powered mobility device, an electric scooter, just this week and once more, I found myself confronting some tender feelings. Acknowledging a progression in disability is complicated. It’s not linear. There’s relief and grief, frustration and freedom, all bundled together. This new scooter represents the reality that walking, even with a crutch, is no longer sustainable for me. But it also represents something else something much more powerful: possibility.

Birdability’s Team Nuthatch is back at New Jersey Audubon’s World Series of Birding and this year, the team is made up entirely of Birdability Captains with invisible disabilities! Invisible disabilities including chronic illnesses, neurodivergence, PTSD, autoimmune conditions, and more aren’t always immediately apparent, but they impact millions. Over 90% of disabilities may be hidden, and yet, folks living with them are often underrepresented in outdoor spaces and events. That’s why we’re proud that Team Nuthatch is once again showing up and showing out for representation, inclusion, and joy in birding.

At Birdability, we celebrate the incredible birders who are making the outdoors more inclusive and accessible, including Carol Tepper, a Birdability Captain whose journey has taken her from musical theater to the National Park Service and, ultimately, to a deep love of birds. Carol’s story is about adaptation, resilience, and the joy of discovering new ways to engage with birding as her access needs changed while navigating a neurological condition that impacted her balance and coordination.

Across the world, accessible birding leaders are innovating to break down barriers and make birding more inclusive. From Chile to Costa Rica to Argentina to Venezuela, people are finding ways to create welcoming spaces and provide access to the birding experiences that bring so many of us joy. Birdability is honored to be in solidarity with these efforts, sharing knowledge, learning from one another, and helping to amplify the voices of those leading the charge in accessibility. These are just a few of those efforts.

When Alex Wang began birding during the pandemic, she couldn’t have imagined how it would transform her life and the lives of others. Stuck at home, Alex started by photographing bees, then birds, in her local neighborhood. “I still love bees very much,” she shared with a laugh. But what began as a solitary pastime soon became a way to build connections and create inclusive spaces for others to enjoy nature.

This February, your participation can help ensure that the Great Backyard Bird Count is for everyone. You have a role as we support bird conservation and show that inclusive participation strengthens both citizen science and our connection to the natural world. Ready…. Set…. Count!