By Todd Burley
Poem of the One World
– Mary Oliver
This morning
the beautiful white heron
was floating along above the water
and then into the sky of this
the one world
we all belong to
where everything
sooner or later
is a part of everything else
which thought made me feel
for a little while
quite beautiful myself.
Birds connect us to nature in the midst of our urban lives. They are lively, colorful, vocal, and visible. They come to our yards, our balconies, our parks, and even along our streets. We share “the one world we all belong to” with them, and we are more complete with birds around.
The many species of birds in Seattle are some of the most accessible animals we can experience. Maybe you are a birder already and have a robust life list going. Or maybe you just enjoy seeing them flit around in your daily life. Either way, taking intentional time to observe these avian neighbors can bring joy and connection.
This February 14-17, Seattle Park and Recreation (SPR) invites you to join in The Great Backyard Bird Count, a global community science project of people noting what birds they see right in their own neighborhood. You can help us identify which birds are in our city, adding to a growing biodiversity database. Learn more about the GBBC in this video >>
New to birding? No worries! Many species like Black-capped Chickadees, Spotted Towhees, Varied Thrushes and Pacific Wrens are both ubiquitous and easy to identify without any equipment. Just taking intentional time to observe is all it takes. Binoculars, however, can help you see the birds better and identify trickier species. Need help identifying birds? Our partner, the Seward Park Audubon Center, has some great birding resources, including the Merlin Bird ID app from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
Winter Wings at Camp Long – Join SPR and Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association for a free family-friendly event where we will learn about Winged Beings such as birds and bats and find some of them! We will have connections, cocoa, and crafts. Our event is happening Saturday, February 15, at Camp Long – Meeting at the Environmental Learning Center from 10 AM – 12 PM. REGISTER>>
Become part of a global community-science project, the Great Backyard Bird County, and help SPR identify the diverse species in our own city. Whether in your backyard or in your local park, you don’t have to go far to see the birds in this, “the one world we all belong to.”