Accessible Birding
Accessible, Inclusive Birding
Sea and Sage is committed to inclusiveness in birding and is working to improve field trip and other opportunities in birding for those with physical challenges. The chapter inaugurated a new Accessible Birding Committee in 2021 to further this effort. Watch the Wandering Tattler newsletter for information about events planned with special consideration for those with disabilities. Contact AccessibleBirding@SeaandSageAudubon.org to be included on a distribution list for early notice of event details.
The Sea and Sage chapter has joined other Audubon chapters in supporting Birdability, a non-profit organization dedicated to assuring that birding is for everybody, including those with disabilities and other health issues. The www.Birdability.org site includes extensive resources for planning or improving site access, and there is also a map of U.S. birding sites. The map has diamonds across it representing birding locations that have been surveyed for accessibility. Zoom in, click on a diamond, and read details about trail surface and slope, restrooms, parking, and much more. Birdability is a free-standing 501 c (3) organization, with the map hosted by National Audubon.
Sea and Sage Audubon has a team of members who are working to survey Orange County eBird hotspots for the Birdability website. More than fifty sites have been surveyed so far. Click here to access a spreadsheet of local hotspots that have been surveyed for accessibility. Note that overall ratings range from a low of 1 to a high of 5 – if you are looking for the most accessible sites, choose those rated a “5” or a “4”. If you’d like to join the survey team, contact AccessibleBirding@SeaandSageAudubon.org.
