"Winter Birding 101" with Dudley Edmondson & Monica Bryand

From the Minneapolis Parks Foundation:

Next Generation of Parks Event Series Presented by Minnesota Public Radio News

Join us via Zoom Saturday, February 6, 3:00pm, for Winter Birding 101, featuring Dudley Edmondson, renowned wildlife photographer and author, and Monica Bryand, founder of Urban Bird Collective.

The Minneapolis Parks Foundation’s Next Generation of Parks Event Series goes all aflutter on Saturday, February 6, at 3:00PM, with Winter Birding 101. This virtual event will feature Dudley Edmondson, renowned wildlife photographer and author of The Black and Brown Faces in America’s Wild Places, from his base in Duluth in conversation with Monica Bryand, a St. Paul-based wildlife photographer and founder of Urban Bird Collective. The event is free, family-friendly, and pre-registration is recommended via Eventbrite to receive the Zoom link.

“This winter bird conversation will help people figure out what that bird is outside their kitchen window,” says Dudley Edmondson. “We'll talk about the most common birds seen in Minnesota backyards when the snow flies. We'll also discuss binoculars for beginners, ways to attract birds to your feeder, and best field trips for winter birdwatching.”

Edmondson first met Monica Bryand when she “invited him to talk to the Urban Bird Collective about what it is like for BIPOC folks to feel safe in nature," she says. “This event will help take away the mystery around birdwatching – one of the most accessible and rewarding activities that get us outdoors and connecting with nature, even in winter.”

In addition to learning about the hardy “snow birds” that stick around through our coldest months – including Northern cardinal, Red bellied woodpecker, red-tailed hawk, and white-breasted nuthatch and a visitor in the winter months the dark-eyed junco – audiences will also get a better understanding of what bird watching is, what amenities are available, and where BIPOC and LGTBQ people can find community in the outdoors. The event is coproduced in partnership with The Great Northern Festival.

“Access to nature is one of the most essential ingredients for good physical and mental health, and Minneapolis and our surrounding communities have a lot of greenspace that many consider free and open to everyone,” says Tom Evers, Executive Director of the Minneapolis Parks Foundation. “Yet invisible but perceivable barriers exist for people of color. Dudley Edmondson and Monica Bryand are reframing who has access to parks and public spaces and striving to open access for Black, Indigenous, and people of color to the natural places where birding can become a transformative experience.”

Pre-registration on Eventbrite is recommended…

About Our Speakers

Dudley Edmondson is an author, public speaker, and filmmaker whose passion is nature and getting people of color outdoors. He speaks regularly on his books and his career as a wildlife photographer. His clients include educational institutions, state and federal agencies, and environmental non-profits. His photography career spans nearly three decades and his work has been featured in galleries and in nearly 100 publications around the world, including the state specific flora and fauna field guides by author Stan Tekiela to Bird: The Definitive Visual Guide, by Audubon (DK Publishing) London, UK. To see more of his photographic work, follow him on Instagram.

Monica Bryand is a Latina who is passionate about the environment and crazy for birds. She loves capturing their beauty and sharing them with others. She started her photography business just by sharing her pictures with friends and then was asked to put together cards and framed photos as gifts. She is also the Executive Director of Urban Bird Collective, which was founded in 2018 to support birdwatchers of all different skill levels in leading walks in our own neighborhoods. The Urban Bird Collective works to create safe and welcoming spaces for all communities with a focus  on Black, Indigenous, People of Color, and the LGBTQ Communities and more – to come out and explore birding and the outdoors.