This is Bird Note. Isaiah Scott is a 20-year-old birder who already runs a popular Instagram account called Ike's birding hikes.

But despite how young he is, he's got his eye on history too.

My heritage is Galagichi. After I got to birding, I was just very interested in just learning more about my heritage and culture.

Galagichi are descendants of enslaved Africans who reside on the coast of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Northern Florida.

And a lot of their traditions were carried over from West Africa, so they're able to hold on to their ancestry even through the horrendous times of enslavement.

One way that they're able to do this was connecting with the natural environment around them.

Isaiah received a fellowship to write a few guys to the birds of Galagichi culture.

I've been doing research and found a lot of birds in their culture and how many feelings of life and death and freedom and beauty are expressed through birds.

And so really this whole guide is just what birds and Galagichi culture was a symbolic way of freedom and liberation for Galagichi people.

Learn more about this rising Gen Z birding star on the Bring Birds Back Podcast.

Listen in your favorite podcast app or at birdnote.org. I'm Tanaiji Hamilton.