Befriend the Birds

Sitting in the light brown wooden chair, at the small colored table in Webster’s Cafe, located in downtown State College, PA is Jim Dunn. He sits in a maroon sweatshirt that reads “State College Friends School” in grey. Jim is a member of the Centre Region Park Authority Board and a professor emeritus at Penn State. You would normally find Jim with his binoculars in hand discovering the next bird in addition to the 733 distinct sightings across 85 parks in Central Pennsylvania he has already recorded.

Birding is an accessible hobby and can become a lifestyle if you choose to make it so. Participation in observation has the potential to take you all over the world. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service “More than 45 million people watch birds around their homes and away from home” and birders are “joining other wildlife watchers in contributing a total of nearly $80 billion to the U.S. economy.” The participation in birdwatching has a significant effect on the economy and wildlife preservation success.

Additionally, “in 2011 666,000 jobs were created as a result of bird watching expenditures” and “local community economies benefit from the $14.9 billion that bird watchers spend.” The effect on local communities is of note in that new experiences and actions, such as learn to birdwatch and where to spot the most birds, not only gets people active in the community, but financially keeps it intact. Bird watchers spend money on equipment, food, and lodging for their expeditions. Birder, Jim Dunn, has visited and recorded bird sightings in 67 counties across Pennsylvania 34 countries and on every continent except Antarctica.

For residents of Central Pennsylvania the parks serve has a communal area, but also a habitat for wildlife. “What a park is for depends on who you are” explains Jim. He revealed that when “I walk through Friedman Park, when I go to play basketball, I might see 10 species when I walk through three times a week.” According to the National Recreation and Park Association, “parks and public lands serve an essential role in preserving natural resources and wildlife habitat.” For places in Central Pennsylvania, it is important that the community answer the call to action. The call being to create local parks in support of parkland with birds, other wildlife, and human residents in mind.

So you want to start birding? Well, you’ll need to know the “hotspots” according to Jim Dunn. According to Jon Kauffman, an active employee at Shaver’s Creek and birder, Fairbrook Park and Walnut springs, both in Central Pennsylvania, can be considered “hotspots.” Fairbrook contains a floodplain, forest and farm field edge. This type of environmental diversity supports many different types of birds. Jon explains how Walnut Springs is “very engaging for me to look at specific birds.” You may also consider connecting with other birders by operating on the online platform and listserv “ebird.” The first step you can take in becoming more involved with your community, learning something knew about where you live, or maybe even sighting the next bird species is heading to your local park.