Intro to Slow Birding Fall
Intro to Slow Birding Fall
Begins October 1st, 2024
This online 5-week course will guide you in developing an alternative approach to birding; a practice that will allow you to enhance your birding skills by birding in place. Bird Diva, Bridget Butler, will facilitate a series of weekly sessions through customized email provocations (5), a private online Slow Birding Community membership for 2 months, and live video conferencing calls (5). During this workshop, you’ll learn how to start a Sit Spot practice, enhance your observation skills, and deepen your connection to the birds right outside your door. Dates for discussions are Tuesdays, October 1st, 8th, 15th, 22nd, and 29th at 6:30 pm EST.
Sliding Scale $125/$150/$175
Slow Birding
Slow Birding is an approach to connecting with nature through bird observation focused on place-based observations; slowing down and being in the moment with birds. It’s not about listing the numerous bird species you’ve seen or about chasing down rare birds that pop up somewhere. It’s really about re-awakening & fine-tuning your innate birding skills while at the same time creating a deeper connection to birds, the place you live, and to yourself.
Read more about Slow Birding here.
Overview
Freedom to participate wherever and whenever you choose.
Customized weekly emails with videos and weekly online sessions.
Opportunity to connect, share with, and learn from other participants through a private membership community.
The goal of building a lasting Slow Birding skillset & practice that will enhance your birding both at home and beyond
Details
You will receive a weekly email starting on Friday, September 27th with a central theme, a recorded video about the week’s topic, a challenge to focus on for the week, and resources to deepen the experience. Emails are sent each Friday, for a total of 5 emails.
Themes may include but are not limited to:
Building a routine of observation
Identifying your usual suspects
Noticing bird behaviors
Capturing observations through notetaking
Learning how to look & listen
NEW this year, week 5 will focus on integrating mindfulness practices into your birding
Our goal is to build a practice of Slow Birding for 20 minutes each day, inside or outside.
Five 1.5-hour live video conferencing calls on the platform Zoom with content to enhance the weekly themes through group discussion & sharing of stories. Tuesdays, October 1st, 8th, 15th, 22nd, and 29th at 6:30 pm EST.
FREE 2-month membership to Bridget’s Slow Birding Community, a private online group for folks interested in Slow Birding.
Private course page where all the videos and recorded discussions are archived as well as links to other resources.
Sliding Scale
New this year, I’m providing a sliding scale for all my programs. I’m offering three tiers: a baseline fee, the actual cost of the course, and then a pay-it-forward tier. Hopefully, this will provide enough flexibility for everyone to participate. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me with questions.
Testimonials
“It’s rare that a program or class effects deep and fundamental shifts in people’s thought processes and profoundly broadens the way they view the world from that point on. In a time when so many people are striving for mindfulness, the value of the practice of Slow Birding as an exercise has the potential to serve even individuals who don’t consider themselves birders in a very unique way. Beyond providing an enjoyable experience in the moment, your approach encourages a deeper understanding and appreciation not only of birds but of our environment and our connection to it.”
“This slow birding course taught me so much and exceeded my expectations! Bridget is an amazing instructor and has cultivated such a wonderful and welcoming community centered around slow birding. I never knew how much I could learn from sitting still, but this course will give you the skills and confidence you need to learn a wealth of knowledge about your backyard visitors and so much more!”
“I really appreciate the emphasis on getting to know our “usual suspects”. I am familiar with K. Karlson and R. Crossley’s approach - I’ve been to their presentations, field trips, have their books, we emphasize their approach in our classes and field trips but I never thought to apply it to the little birds in my yard! I have large flocks of American and Lesser Goldfinches and Pine Siskins. My goal this winter was to differentiate their vocalizations. I never considered studying their silhouettes and body shapes. It has been an eye-opener for me! I can tell them apart by their ‘outfits’ but really studying their shapes, I feel like I am “seeing” them for the first time!
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“Your welcoming manner is the reason I have felt like I can “be a birder”. You have made me feel like it is okay to talk about what I am noticing about birds and not be perfect about it. It’s not about the answers, it’s about the questions. Just noticing and wondering is enough - and that freedom makes the topic accessible for me. ”