5/8/2025 Meet In Color Birding: Bringing the Joy of Birding to Underserved Communities
Throughout the year, Preserve Notes spotlights local groups who share likeminded missions to our own. This month, we’re delighted to introduce you to In Color Birding, a non-profit organization launched in 2021 whose mission is to provide an entry point to birding for BIPOC communities in and around Greater Philadelphia and make the birding experience a positive one for BIPOC folks and their allies. Last summer, In Color Birding visited the Preserve, where they enjoyed exploring the grounds AND spotting one of our resident barred owls. We touched based with their founder, Jason Hall, to find out more about the group, their goals and upcoming plans.
Preserve: What is it about birding that sparked your interest in starting In Color Birding Club?
Hall: I started the club after experiencing Black Birders Week in 2020, end of May, early June of 2020. I experienced that week, and it was virtually put on by a group called Black AF in S.T.E.M., and it inspired me a lot. […] I realized is that some of the legacy bird clubs really didn’t have very intentional ways for black and brown people, especially in underserved neighborhoods to get involved in birding.
Preserve: What challenges have you faced in organizing the club?
Hall: When you start a nonprofit, that’s not meant to be a big revenue generator, most of your work is volunteer work. I’m trying to keep things organized, schedule events, establish partnerships and relationships with other groups, including the Preserve, and really just try to keep the consistency with the community. That’s consistency is really key.
Preserve: What connection do you see between birding and native plants and how does your group do to encourage this connection?
Hall: We have a diverse community that we interact with that readily share information about natives. As we bird, we look for things like elms, oaks, and maples, species we know attract birds, whether they’re migrating through or nesting in the region. Every spring we encourage people as they’re designing and refreshing their gardens to look for opportunities to add these species. We also encourage them to advocate for this in their local communities. In the fall, we talk to them about leaving your flower heads so the seeds are still there for the birds. People love this idea of attracting goldfinches in the fall and winter because they’ve left a lot of their flower seeds, especially thistle and things like that, out. So that’s been really great
Preserve: Were there any memorable experiences from your visit to the Preserve?
Hall: We had an incredible encounter with a Barred Owl perched near the Audubon Platform and Wood Thrush feeding its young at a nest along the river – it was a very intimate and enjoyable experience for our group.
Preserve: Where will your group go birding next? Tell us about some upcoming trips and what you hope to see!
Hall: On April 26 we have a “Little Sit” event at Bartam’s Garden. We will meet up with local affiliate groups like – Philly Queer Birders, Feminist Bird Club, Disability Pride of Pennsylvania, and a Pennsylvania Center for Adaptive Sports. We create this accessible event where we show up with food and community. We just kind of sit out on blankets and chairs, and we let the birds come to us during migration in this beautiful historic garden.
The Preserve looks forward to hosting In Color Birding again. We have plenty more birds to spy and native plants to see. Our barred owls are just the beginning!
You can support In Color Birding, they greatly appreciate donations, which help us fund transportation for children to experience nature. We are also always in need of gently used binoculars and optics, as these help remove a significant barrier for individuals new to birding.
Donations can be made through our website: [https://www.incolorbirding.org/get-involved/](https://www.incolorbirding.org/get-involved/)
If you have any used optics you would like to donate, please reach out to us via our contact page: [https://www.incolorbirding.org/contact-us/](https://www.incolorbirding.org/contact-us/)
Article by Santino Lauricella, education manager
