Field Inclusive Co-Founder awarded $1K to support Beginning Birders Program (BBP)
January 19, 2024 | FIELD INCLUSIVE
For immediate release
Contact: Lauren D. Pharr; laurenpharr@fieldinclusive.org
FI Co-Founder and CFO Lauren D. Pharr was recently awarded an Outreach Grant from Animal Behavior Society (ABS) to support Wake Audubon and Field Inclusive’s (FI) Beginning Birders Program.
The grant, in the amount of $1,000, supports outstanding community engagement efforts by ABS members. ABS holds a responsibility as scientists to engage with the public, and most members of ABS are involved in creative outreach activities. Winners of the award will share their program on their website as well as through a poster at the ABS annual conference.
“I am so glad that ABS chose FI’s BBP as a recipient of this award, and I am honored to accept it on FI’s behalf, ” says Pharr. “Our program runs off of generous donations and continuously purchased supplies to make the program a success for our participants to get them excited about birding while learning new skills. This grant will help this program tremendously as we look into expanding to serve the local Hispanic community, requiring the need for translated materials. We also want to provide and promote our program to persons who experience accessibility challenges.”
The BBP program, which is currently being offered in Raleigh and surrounding areas, is being catered towards historically excluded and underrepresented groups, communities, and organizations of all ages. The ambitious goal would be that success of such a program could lead to similar programs at other parks or nature centers. Both Wake Audubon Society and FI, the founders of the program, seek to provide safe, equitable, and accessible outdoor experiences for all and what better way to accomplish that than through birding.
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Since 2022, Field Inclusive strives to provide tangible and actionable improvements in the natural resources by addressing social field safety issues related to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI). We seek to support all field biologists in the natural sciences through identifying and addressing field safety issues, developing field safety resources, and supporting marginalized researchers through financial aid and experiential learning opportunities.
For more information, please visit https://www.fieldinclusive.org/ or connect with Field Inclusive on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter (X).
ABOUT ANIMAL BEHAVIOR SOCIETY:
The Animal Behavior Society (ABS) is a non-partisan, non-profit, 501(3)(c) professional organization dedicated to promoting and advancing the scientific study of animal behavior, and to creating an inclusive scientific environment that supports a diverse membership. Members of ABS study behavior across all levels of biological organization, under natural and controlled conditions, and using descriptive and experimental approaches. Together with its sister organization, the Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour (ASAB), ABS edits the field’s flagship scientific journal, Animal Behaviour. ABS also promotes both emerging and established scientists by sponsoring annual research conferences, educational programs, outreach activities, student research grant competitions, and a professional certification program. In all its endeavors, ABS is committed to ensuring a safe and welcoming environment for its members.
For more information, connect with Animal Behavior Society on Facebook, Twitter (X), and YouTube.