PRESS STATEMENT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

APRIL 24, 2023

Contacts:

Nicole Jackson, Dara M. Wilson, and Adé Ben-Salahuddin via blackafinstem@gmail.com.

Black Birders Week to Highlight Expressive Ways in Which We Share Our Love for Birds

The fourth annual event will take place May 28-June 3 with daily themes.

#BlackBirdersWeek returns for its fourth year from May 28-June 3, this year’s theme “Flying Full Circle” celebrates the variety of expressive ways in which we share our joy for birds across the diaspora. The event week features daily themes encouraging connections online and off.

#BlackBirdersWeek will feature panel discussions, bird walks, and giveaways among other engagements, both virtually and in person. The event week is put on in partnership with BirdNote, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Bird Collective, Wildlife Conservation Society, and many other organizations.  

“Last year, we focused on celebrating lifelong journeys and connections made through birding,” said Nicole Jackson, a co-organizer and one of this year’s planning team co-chairs. “This year, #BlackBirdersWeek is taking you on a tour, focusing on themes like, how Black birders share their joy of birds through a variety of means of expression, history and culture, and citizen science. For all members of BlackAFinSTEM, birding has been an incredible journey in many different ways and we know this to be true for other Black birders throughout America and the diaspora. We would like to engage and share the stories of as many Black birders as we can, uplifting their connections to birds. This year we are Flying Full Circle!”

#BlackBirdersWeek got its start in 2020 as a primarily virtual event spurred by the Central Park birding incident involving the accomplished science writer and birder Christian Cooper.  The event week and The BlackAFinSTEM Collective itself were created by a small group of friends and acquaintances to normalize the historically overlooked presence of Black birders, scientists, and nature enthusiasts in the field (literally and figuratively) in an effort to make the natural sciences more inclusive, diverse, and welcoming to people of all walks of life. The Collective also aims to inspire new audiences to engage in nature and share the stories of Black conservationists from across the globe.

For updates, information, and materials, fly along with us or contact us on

Twitter: @BlackAFInSTEM,

Instagram: @BlackAFInSTEM,

Facebook: @BlackAFInSTEM, or

Email: BlackAFInSTEM@gmail.com.

Check our website for updates: BlackAFInSTEM.com

The BlackAFInSTEM Collective seeks to support, uplift, and amplify Black Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics professionals in natural resources and the environment through professional development, career connection, and community engagement.