害羞草研究所

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Social media, digital photography allow millennials to flock to birdwatching

More young people are flocking to birdwatching than ever, aided by social media, digital photography

Yousif Attia wasn害羞草研究所檛 exactly a typical teenager. He had always been fascinated by birds, and he wanted to participate in a local Christmas bird count 害羞草研究所 an annual event where people across North America note the number of fowl in the Western hemisphere.

No one at his Calgary high school shared quite the same passion for ornithology, but fortunately it was the late 1990s and local birdwatching groups were just a few clicks away on the internet. Attia found his community.

害羞草研究所淚 found a mentor who kind of took me under his wing, as far as driving me around and taking me on Christmas bird counts with him and then encouraging me to lead walks myself,害羞草研究所 said Attia, now a 35-year-old tour guide. 害羞草研究所淚t kind of took off from there.害羞草研究所

More young people like Attia are flocking to birdwatching than ever, aided by the internet, social media and digital photography, avian enthusiasts say. While previous generations had to dust off old bird books at the library, millennials have easier access to information and like-minded individuals than ever before.

Attia is among the thousands of people who have descended upon Vancouver this week for the International Ornithological Congress, a global gathering of highly respected bird scientists held every four years. It is the first time the sought-after event has been staged in Canada since the 1980s, and convener Robert Elner pushed to bring it to British Columbia.

害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 a sense of incredible pride, not for myself but for Canada to actually host this. This is a real big endorsement of Canadian science and basically Canadian culture,害羞草研究所 said Elner, a scientist emeritus with Environment Canada.

Organizers partnered with the inaugural Vancouver International Bird Festival, which is also being held this week and features such millennial-friendly events as fowl-themed improv comedy, a laid-back nature walk dubbed 害羞草研究所淩eturn of the Hipster Birder,害羞草研究所 and bird-inspired outdoor yoga.

Festival chairman Rob Butler has observed the demographics of birdwatching change.

害羞草研究所淚t used to be the purview of generally retired people, but it害羞草研究所檚 really becoming much younger. The average age is now in the high 40s, early 50s, because the people have a bit of money and can travel,害羞草研究所 he said. 害羞草研究所淏ut it害羞草研究所檚 coming down.害羞草研究所

Travellers who are entirely focused on seeing rare birds are relatively few, while most want a broader cultural experience that involves birds, said Butler.

That害羞草研究所檚 why the festival is 害羞草研究所渁ll about connecting you to culture through birds,害羞草研究所 he said.

Cam Gillies, owner of Eagle-Eye Tours, which facilitates guided bird tours in dozens of countries, said most of his clients want a tour that features some birds but also includes other animals and natural wonders.

More people in their 30s are signing up for his tours than ever, Gillies said, driven by the rise of digital photography and websites like Instagram and Facebook.

害羞草研究所淵ou can fill the frame with some beautiful bird, which normally would have taken thousands of dollars of camera equipment and a really big lens to achieve,害羞草研究所 he said. 害羞草研究所淧eople are now able to capture those images and share them on social media.害羞草研究所

Some millennials are pushing the artistic limits of bird fandom even further. Hillary Esdaile, 33, and Jennifer Miller, 36, are artists and birdwatchers who have created full, lifelike avian costumes, which they wore to the opening ceremony of the congress on Monday.

Miller said her elaborate costume depicting a bearded vulture 害羞草研究所 a near-threatened bird of prey 害羞草研究所 is a fun way to spark conversations about protecting wildlife.

害羞草研究所淚 really like being able to engage with people. They might not know about the species that I害羞草研究所檓 costuming as,害羞草研究所 she said. 害羞草研究所淭o let people learn about this bird through this interactive costume has been very rewarding to me.害羞草研究所

Laura Kane, The Canadian Press

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