It was a (necessary) gut punch for all of us when our state Governor closed down parks for outdoor fun. That’s kind of our thing, if ya couldn’t tell.
But that doesn’t mean you can’t do ANYTHING outdoorsy and fun. Got a smartphone? Well our friend Peter Hodum from Oikonos has a really cool and free way to enjoy your neighborhood and maybe even just your back yard especially if you’ve got bored kids sitting around itching for some outdoor fun. Keep reading to find out.

During this unprecedented time when many of us are spending considerably more time at home than we ever have, we are reconnecting with our yards, immediate neighborhoods and local open spaces. That connection to place can be grounding and settling, especially when there is so much uncertainty in our lives. And the more that we know about the species that share our spaces with us, the more that we feel a sense of place. When we take the time to slow down, look carefully and observe with patience, we realize that even urban areas are rich with biological diversity.

One group of animals that is present all around us are birds. They move through our yards, nest in our shrubs and trees, visit our bird feeders, and migrate through our open spaces, adding color, wonder and inspiration to our lives. Although the prospect of learning to identify the birds around us might feel intimidating, we can all deepen our appreciation of our winged neighbors. We can simply take time to sit, observe and enjoy their movement and their grace in flight. We can also begin to learn how to recognize general types of birds. And if we are really keen, we can learn to identify individual species. There really is something for everyone!

For those interested in beginning to explore the birds in our local area, there are a number of wonderful resources available, one of which is the Merlin app from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology(https://merlin.allaboutbirds.org/). It is a free application that uses a series of simple, non-technical questions to guide the observer towards likely species. It also allows the observer to upload a photo of the bird and then provides an identification. It is a remarkable tool that allows children through seniors to begin to learn what species of birds share our local areas with us.

Although we cannot gather together at Campfire Coffee to share stories about birds at present, we can begin to create our own special experiences and stories and deepen our appreciation of these magical winged beings. And soon enough, we will be able to join together to share a coffee or tea and stories of our deepening appreciation of the natural world just outside our windows.

Want more ideas like this? Drop us a line!