BIRD-WATCHING WHILE BLACK: A WILDLIFE ECOLOGIST SHARES HIS TIPS

J. Drew Lanham believes that “conserving birds and their habitat [is] a moral mission that needs the broadest and most diverse audience possible to be successful.” He’s a professor of wildlife ecology in the College of Agriculture, Forestry and Life Sciences at Clemson University in South Carolina, as well as a published poet, naturalist, hunter, and birder. He’s aware that this last specialty—birder—isn’t something people expect a black man to be, and after seeing what was going on in the news, he wrote “9 Rules for the Black Birdwatcher,” a satirical essay adapted to film by BirdNote. Produced by Ari Daniel. Videography by Amanda Kowalski. Learn more about J. Drew Lanham’s work through these links: “An Ode 2 Birding While Black” by Drew Lanham. “Behind the Binoculars With Drew Lanham”. “Becoming a Naturalist“. New Heads for New People, “Episode 6: Finding the Sweet Spot”. “The Freedom to Bird”. Support for this video comes from BirdNote donors.