Amy Simso Dean, Founder of The Kestrels Birding Group
Saturday, July 23, 2022 at 10:24AMArticle by Becky Fillinger, photos provided
Amy Sisco Dean
Starting out as a new birder can be daunting – Where do I go? Will I be safe? I know nothing about birds but I’m interested. Meet Amy Simso Dean, founder of The Kestrels. We talked to Amy about the group’s inclusive policies which makes it easy for women and non-binary individuals to enjoy birding experiences without fear or self-doubts.
Q: The Kestrels was formed in 2021 to create a safe and inclusive birding experience for women. Can you tell us more about this idea?
A: The Kestrels focus is on creating a safe space and a shared community for anyone who identifies as female or non-binary - that is what we mean by an inclusive birding group for women.
Women birders face a few different challenges. For some there are safety issues - they don’t feel safe birding alone - for obvious reasons - or meeting up with a male birder or birders they don’t know.
The birding world also has traditionally been a very white male dominated space - the trip guides, leadership in organizations, who you see profiled in magazines, etc. So, for some it is a comfort issue - they don’t feel they are heard or taken seriously as a birder in male-dominated settings (and let’s be honest, sometimes they aren’t).
Others don’t feel comfortable because they are a new to birding and this group just feels more accessible. For others it is just another way to connect with like-minded people. Granted not every space is like that and not every woman feels that way. Have men joined our outings? Yes, for sure. But, our focus is creating a safe space for this population.
Q: Why was the group named The Kestrels?
A: We played around with a few different names. We wanted our name to tie to Minnesota birding and be as inclusive as possible. So, we voted on names until we narrowed it down. The American Kestrel is one of the few raptor species where the female looks distinctively different from the male. She’s a badass little predator so a great mascot for some badass birders.
Q: How often do you hold events?
A: We try for at least one event per month whether that is a meet-up to go birding, an event with another organization (like a tour of The Raptor Center or a Birds and Beers meet-up) or trips that we organize. Last winter a group of us went up to the Sax-Zim Bog for some delightful (and very cold: -30) winter birding. We also have a wine-tasting party where all the wine has to have a bird on the label.
At the Sax-Zim Bog
Wine-tasting party
Q: The events seem fun and educational! Is there a vetting process to join?
A: We have a series of membership questions to join our Facebook group. We do have a very small website, but right now almost all our communication and planning happens through the Facebook group.
Q: I started researching inclusive outdoor groups after finding Kestrels and there are so many groups across the country working towards similar goals of creating intentional safe outdoor spaces. Will Kestrels expand to include people with mobility or vision issues?
A: People with vision, hearing or mobility challenges are already welcome to join. We try to explain trail and parking conditions for all our outings so that people can make informed decisions. When we hear of outings - like a recent birding outing for people with mobility challenges that I led through another organization - we let our members know. Or a friend of mine runs a group specifically for LGTBQ+ and BIPOC birders and we’ll let our members know about those events.
Q: How may we follow the group’s news?
A: The best way to stay up to date is through our Facebook group. People can also reach out to us at TheKestrelsMN@gmail.com and check out our website, KestrelsMN.com. We hope to see you at an upcoming event.
