By Mary Beth Nevulis, Vice President, Louisville Audubon Society Board of Directors
This May, Louisville Audubon Society is proud to join the Black AF In STEM Collective in celebrating Black Birders Week 2025, taking place Sunday, May 25, through Saturday, May 31. Now in its sixth celebration and fifth official year, this weeklong event is more than a birding initiative—it’s a vibrant and unapologetic celebration of Black identity in nature, a call to reclaim space, and a movement rooted in joy, justice, and community.
What Is Black Birders Week?
Born from a need to address systemic racism and underrepresentation in outdoor and environmental spaces, Black Birders Week was launched in 2020 by the Black AF In STEM Collective. Since then, it has grown into a nationally celebrated campaign that highlights Black experiences in birding, conservation, and science. Having a designated week is intended to foster visibility, build community, and break down stereotypes by celebrating Black birders as leaders, scientists, storytellers, and advocates.
This Year’s Theme: “Grounded in Community”
The 2025 theme, “Grounded in Community,” invites us to reflect on the power of connection—to land, to birds, and to each other. It’s a reminder that belonging and liberation are found not just in nature, but in the people who protect and cherish it. This year, the focus is on celebrating Black joy, healing, and collective strength in the outdoors.
That’s also why the bird theme for 2025 is the Sparrow Family.
Sparrows, often overlooked or dismissed as “little brown birds,” embody resilience, adaptability, and the strength of community. Like Black birders, sparrows are essential to the ecosystem but frequently marginalized in broader narratives. This parallel is intentional and powerful: just as sparrows thrive through connection, Black birders are transforming the environmental movement through shared knowledge, leadership, and advocacy.
Just as sparrows thrive through connection, Black birders are transforming the environmental movement through shared knowledge, leadership, and advocacy.
Why It Matters in Kentucky
Here in Louisville and across the Kentuckiana region, we birders know the joy of stepping outside to catch the flash of feathers or hear the sweet trill of a familiar call. We also recognize that not everyone has always been made to feel welcome in natural spaces or out on the trail.
Black Birders Week is a reminder that nature belongs to everyone and that we all benefit when birding and environmental spaces reflect the true diversity of our communities.
Nature belongs to everyone, and we all benefit when birding and environmental spaces reflect the true diversity of our communities.
How You Can Participate
There are many ways to get involved and show your support during Black Birders Week 2025:
- Follow: The hashtags #BlackBirdersWeek and #BlackBirdersWeek2025 on Instagram, Facebook, and Bluesky will offer daily themes, stories, and educational content.
- Support and uplift: Explore the Black-led organizations, professionals, and creators in the birding and conservation space.
- Reflect and learn. Take time to read about Black experiences in outdoor spaces. Amplify voices that have historically been excluded.
Join the Movement
Louisville Audubon Society is proud to support Black Birders Week 2025 and the transformative work of Black AF In STEM. We invite you to be part of this growing movement to reimagine the outdoors as a space of belonging, healing, and liberation.
For more information and to follow along with the organizers:
- Website: BlackAFInSTEM.com
- Instagram: @BlackAFInSTEM
- Facebook: @BlackAFInSTEM
- Bluesky: @blackafinstem.bsky.social
Let’s celebrate this movement together—in the parks, on the trails, and in our own backyards. When we support each other, we create a stronger, more inclusive future—for birds, for nature, and for us all.
Photo credit: Song Sparrow, Vaughn Cottman/Audubon Photography Awards
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