Plum Creek hosts new birding program for people with visual impairments

The Forest Preserve District is offering a special program for the first time that invites people with visual disabilities to learn to bird by sound.

Birding for the Blind and Visually Impaired is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. Monday, Oct. 19, at Plum Creek Nature Center in Crete Township.

The free program is for ages 16 and older, and the registration deadline is Thursday, Oct. 15. Participants are responsible for their own transportation. A hike of up to 1 mile will be part of the program.

The Forest Preserve District is partnering with Birdability to offer the program during its annual Birdability Week, Oct. 19-25.

Both organizations have the same goal of removing hurdles people can encounter when trying to access nature, said Alyssa Parker, program coordinator for Plum Creek. Birdability focuses on removing those hurdles specifically when it comes to birding.

“I am hopeful that partnering with Birdability will open this opportunity to more people,” Parker said.

The Forest Preserve’s program is open to anyone who wants to register, even individuals without visual disabilities.

“It’s going to be so fun," Parker said. "Even if you only learn one or two more calls, you open your ears to more possibilities to connect with nature.”

Birding by sound takes practice.

“At first, it can be overwhelming because there are so many calls to learn,” Parker said. “But once you start learning, it becomes easier and easier the more you practice.”

Birds that are more familiar are easier to identify by sound, she added. Those include American robins, blue jays, American crows, mourning doves, pigeons and some owls.

“The hardest birds to identify by sound are the warblers because they sound similar and there are so many of them that migrate through,” Parker said. “Some are here for only a short time, so there's not a lot of time to learn them in the field. And shorebirds, they do not call as much and can often sound similar to one another.”

Birding is for every person

Parker said she learned how to bird by sound early in her career from a mentor who had a visual impairment, and she has always wanted to offer a program for people who are visually impaired or blind.

“I truly think birding is for every person, regardless of their physical abilities, race, social status, body type or economic class,” she said. “I want to be able to meet people where they are and show them the different opportunities birding can open for them.”

In addition to offering this type of program, the Forest Preserve takes other measures to help make sure everyone feels included.

“We offer programs for all age groups, provide mobility aids, keep neurodivergent people in mind when creating lesson plans, offer paved trails, adapt classes and programs for different abilities and strive to provide inclusive learning opportunities," Parker said.