This outing will be led by Virginia Rose, Founder of Birdability, an organization dedicated to making birding and outdoor spaces accessible, safe, welcoming, and inclusive for everybody and every body.
What to Expect: Exploration Green features wide, paved, mostly level trails that loop around a series of lakes and wetland cells, making it an excellent location for accessible birding. The group will move at an unhurried pace, stopping frequently to observe birds and discuss how this restored urban green space provides critical habitat for resident and migratory species while also serving the surrounding community.
Mid-April is an especially productive time to bird Exploration Green. The wetlands and open water often host a variety of wading birds such as Great and Snowy Egrets, Little Blue and Tricolored Herons, White Ibis, and Roseate Spoonbill. Waterfowl may still be present, and the site regularly supports shorebirds including Black-necked Stilt, Spotted Sandpiper, and yellowlegs. Raptors such as Osprey, Red-shouldered Hawk, and White-tailed Kite are frequently observed overhead, while spring migration can bring warblers, flycatchers, and other songbirds into the surrounding trees and shrubs.
This outing emphasizes observation, conversation, and connection—to birds, to place, and to one another. Participants will have opportunities to ask questions, share sightings, and learn how accessible design and intentional programming can expand who feels welcome and included in birding and outdoor spaces.
What to Bring: water, lunch, sunscreen, insect repellent, and a hat.
Important Information: If you are a disabled person and have questions not addressed in the provided description, please email Eowyn Johnson at dir@gintc.org.
If you are a participant with a disability or other health concern and the cost of this trip makes it inaccessible to you, please reach out to Eowyn Johnson at dir@gintc.org to request a sliding-scale option.
Driving and parking directions will be emailed prior to the festival.