Looking for a hobby to try out this new year? Give birding a try! Milwaukee Public Library recently added birding backpacks to its catalog of things you can check out.
The BIPOC Birding Club of Wisconsin donated the birding backpacks to all 13 Milwaukee Public Library branches. The bags come with all the essentials people need to enjoy and learn about birds, like binoculars and field guides.
“This project aims to reach people who have traditionally been marginalized from birding,” says Kelly Bolter, the adult programming coordinator at Milwaukee Public Library. The BIPOC Birding Club of Wisconsin really aims to make this an accessible pursuit, and that aligns perfectly with the library's goal of welcoming everyone in our spaces and equipping everyone with the tools that they need to succeed. It also enhances awareness of the natural spaces around us,” Bolter says.
Lake Effect’s Xcaret Nuñez spoke with Bolter and Beth Henika, the Acquisitions, Serials and InterLibrary Loan Manager at Milwaukee Public Library, for this month’s Chirp Chat.
What comes in each birding backpack:
- One pair of adult-sized Nocs binoculars
- One pair of child-sized Nocs binoculars
- Kaufman Field Guide to Birds of North America by Kenn Kaufman
- Milwaukee Public Library's laminated guide of backpack items and local parks
- English Field Guide for Kids by Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance
- Spanish Field Guide for Kids by Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance
- One Osprey Daylite backpack
Chirp Chat’s Bird of the Month for January
“They're not flashy, but they are numerous, Bolter says. “And they're such a sign of spring and summer — it just makes me feel good when I know they're around and the weather's wonderful. I love them.”
“I like looking for the raptors that are sitting on freeway signs, and I think one of them might be the Red-tailed Hawk,” Henika says. “I think that goes back to doing a lot of library programming with the local Audubon centers, and having those raptors come in and being able to recognize, 'That bird is hunting!’ It’s something I've really enjoyed doing with my kids.
