Can birdwatching be political? Locals combine their passion with their values in new chapter of Feminist Bird Club

Amea Wadsworth, Emily Young and Ashlea Vedder are birds of a feather.

All San Diego locals, they love nature, and each reached out to Feminist Bird Club over the years to inquire about setting up a San Diego chapter. Now, they are the organizers of that chapter.

But they didn’t know each other at first. Young said that she originally contacted the parent organization in 2022, but FBC, dealing with a high volume of interest, put a freeze on the creation of new chapters. It wasn’t until 2025, shortly after Wadsworth also contacted FBC, that the freeze was lifted. Young and Wadsworth were connected, with Vedder following shortly after. 

“It’s kind of funny,” Young said. “We’re all San Diego natives, we all wanted the same goal, but we did not know the others existed.”

Since it began in 2016, FBC has grown to over 40 chapters throughout the continental U.S. San Diego is one of the newest editions to that growing list. 

“It’s shocking that someone hadn’t started one up here already,” Wadsworth said. “I feel very fortunate that we have the privilege to be the ones to do it.” 

Feminist Bird Club is a birding organization founded by Molly Adams as a way to leverage two passions – birds and social justice, melding them “into a cohesive whole,” according to the club’s website. The organization emphasizes inclusivity through their guiding principles, which highlight how the environmentalism, conservation, feminism and anti-racism converge.

According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 37% of the U.S. population engaged in birdwatching in 2022 – over 95 million people. San Diego is an especially good city for the hobby with over 500 recorded species.  

But studies have shown that non-white minorities are deeply underrepresented in the birdwatching sphere. A 2022 report published by the U.S. Geological Survey examined the demographics of users at eBird, a digital birding network with over one million registered users. Of over 29,000 survey respondents, 94.8% identified as being non-Hispanic white.

Another report, from the Fish and Wildlife Service, in 2024, showed that 75% of birders nationwide are white, though Asian Americans had the highest participation rate. The agency also found that women, and those who identify as gender non-conforming, average more birding days per year than men.

The USGS report cited various reasons for underrepresentation among people of color and other groups, including socioeconomic conditions. But researchers also noted that minority groups “are less likely to pursue activities in which no one they know participates.” In addition, people of color are over three times more likely to live in locations that are deprived of nature, according to the Center for American Progress. 

“I’ve had a lot of conversations over the years with activists who do environmental works and are people of color, are queer, grew up in low-income households, and a lot of them felt growing up that wildlife activities were just not something for them,” said Wadsworth, who works in the field of climate media.

FBC San Diego held their first event, a bird walk and picnic social, last month at Robb Field in Ocean Beach. Wadsworth said that they chose the location due to the presence of larger birds, such as egrets and herrings, which can be seen without typical birding equipment such as binoculars or a camera. 

Over 30 people attended, many of whom were first-time or beginner birders. 

“It was really quite a spectrum of experience,” Young said. “Which, I think that’s actually ideal in a birding group. There’s still room to learn from each other, but at least someone knows what they’re doing.” 

There’s a range of experience amongst the FBC San Diego founders as well.  

Wadsworth first got into the hobby when she took up bird photography a few years ago and has gone on many birdwatching trips throughout San Diego. Vedder said that she heard about birding from an old meditation instructor, who had been a biologist. She learned about FBC after reading the book, “Birding for a Better World.” Young described herself as a beginner, explaining that she gained interest in birding simply because “birds are neat.” 

All three FBC San Diego organizers agreed that a person’s level of experience doesn’t matter – a love of nature is the only requirement for joining this group. 

“There’s a lack of third places for a lot of young people,” Wadsworth said. “Rising costs of living, less leisure time to be outside – especially since we live in San Diego, it’s one of the most expensive cities in the nation. But, we have some of the best nature. I think that people are stressed and they’re looking for community and they’re looking for people who agree with them politically and socially.” 

“Unfortunately, nowadays, the natural environment is inherently political,” Young added. “Just the existence of it, and whether (land is) going to stay a park or turn into a highrise tomorrow. It all ties into politics.” 

Apart from the social benefits of joining a birding group, practicing mindfulness in nature has been found to have positive mental health and environmental benefits.

A 2024 report from the scientific journal Ecopsychology found that listening to birdsong, and other ambient noises from nature, correlated with reduced symptoms of stress, anxiety and depression in participants. The report also associated improved cognitive functions, such as increased attention spans and memory capacity, with birdwatching.

In addition, the Ecopsychology report found that birders are up to five times more likely to engage in “pro-environmental” and conservation behaviors – such as habitat restoration, citizen science and forest management – as compared to other wildlife enthusiasts or those who engage in non-environmental activities.

“We often talk about the existential dread of the climate crisis,” Vedder said. “I remember (my meditation teacher) reminded me that, as long as the birds are still singing and we can still go outside and hear them, we have to keep fighting.”

With one event under their wings, the FBC San Diego trio said that they have lots of ideas for future gatherings – from zine making to trivia nights to collaborations with other local conservation groups, such as the San Diego Bird Alliance. 

Their next event is scheduled Saturday, from 9 to 11:30 a.m. at Lindo Lake in Lakeside. Attendance is free, but in honor of Pride Month a “pay-what-you-can” option is available at registration, with proceeds going to the San Diego LGBT Community Center. More information and links to register are available on their Instagram page. 

“Looking at your outdoor environment is something that is very politically charged,” Vedder said. “So, it’s nice to come together and be with like-minded people, who know that political action does have consequences, and if we empower ourselves, hopefully we are stronger together with that voice.”