This is BirdNode.

While Sierra Taliafero was working as a naturalist in Broward County, Florida, the Broward County

Library approached her with a unique opportunity to create a program to enhance the public's

knowledge about the basics of birding.

This was in 2021, one year deep into the COVID-19 pandemic.

There was already a visible interest in birding as a safe outdoor activity.

Once people start feeling more comfortable with going outside, they realize that there's

just awesome activity called birdwatching and they want to learn more about it.

Sierra and others came up with the idea of putting together backpacks full of birding gear

that people could check out from the library, including a field guide to Florida birds and

binoculars.

Depending on if it's an adult or if it's a kid, they'll have the appropriate binoculars

in there.

So we were super involved, super invested because we wanted to make sure that people were

going to get the necessary things that they needed to get started.

Here we gave a webinar crash course that focused on how to use the supplies and empowered

people to birdwatch wherever they live.

You just need to have an open mind and open heart and open ears, honestly.

I often say like birding is so unconventional.

You can literally bird outside your window.

You can bird in the parking lot of the grocery store because there's birds all around

it.

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