Ohio birders -- Are you in favor of diversity? Here's a chance to show your support and learn how to actually do something about it. If you go to popular birding sites or to gatherings of birders, you'll see a lot of friendly faces, but eventually you'll realize that the faces you're seeing are almost all white. Likewise, if you spend time in national parks, state parks, national wildlife refuges, or other outdoor destinations, you won't see many people of color. This is true all across the U.S., just as it is in Ohio. For some reason, America's minority groups are sadly scarce in birding, and in most other areas of nature study and outdoor recreation. Why is this a problem? Of course, most of us want everyone to have a chance to discover the joy of birding! But in addition to that, we need all the help and support we can get for the conservation of birds and wildlife and the protection of natural areas. Demographics in the U.S. are shifting. What the Census Bureau calls "Non-Hispanic Whites" already make up less than 50 percent of the population in some states. If bird watching and nature study continue to be mainly pursuits for whites, we can expect to see dwindling support for bird conservation. For the future of our natural resources, open spaces, and wildlife, we need to figure out how to share our love of birding and the outdoors with a more diverse audience. It seems to be difficult for most of us even to talk about this issue, let alone do something about it. But on September 26, Ohio birders will have the opportunity to hear from people who are already doing something, to learn from them about how to promote diversity in the outdoors. Diversity in Outdoor Recreation: The Many Faces of Conservation Saturday, September 26, 2009 -- 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Ward Pavilion, Wildwood Preserve, Toledo Metroparks This one-day conference will feature a lineup of nationally recognized experts. Biologist, author, and software designer John C. Robinson will speak on "Birding for Everyone: Changing the Face of Environmental Conservation Through Birding." Professional nature photographer and author Dudley Edmondson will speak on "Outdoor Role Models: Black and Brown Faces in America's Wild Places." Tamberly Conway and Maricruz Flores, who work with Stephen F. Austin State University and the U.S. Forest Service in Texas, will speak on their program "Latino Legacy: Amigos del Bosque," which has been very successful in getting families involved with forest areas. Reflecting the importance of the issue, the conference is sponsored by a unique partnership of Black Swamp Bird Observatory, Toledo Metroparks, and Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge. The focus throughout will be on positive, practical approaches that already have been proven to make a difference. This is an issue that is just now starting to get national attention, and Ohio has a chance to be on the leading edge of working for positive change. For more information on the conference, and on how YOU can register, go to: http://www.bsbo.org/diversity_conference.htm If anyone is interested in more background on why I (as a lifelong rabid birder) am personally interested in this issue, I put a little discussion on http://birdingwithkennandkim.blogspot.com/ in the post for August 24th. Thanks for reading, and I'll hope to see many of you at Wildwood Preserve on September 26th. Kenn Kaufman Oak Harbor, Ohio ______________________________________________________________________ Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society. Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list. Additional discussions can be found in our forums, at www.ohiobirds.org/forum/. You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]