Maine Audubon is committed to helping everyone get outside to enjoy wildlife, but it’s easier for some than others. Those with disabilities, health concerns, or other accessibility issues may have a much harder time. A lack of information about the relative accessibility of different outdoor sites is part of the problem.
We’re working this October to change that, and we are looking for volunteers to help. Maine Audubon is one of the sponsors of Birdability Week 2025, an annual celebration of birders with disabilities and other health concerns organized by the national Birdability organization. The group “works to ensure the birding community and the outdoors are welcoming, inclusive, safe and accessible for everybody,” focusing on “people with mobility challenges, blindness or low vision, chronic illness, intellectual or developmental disabilities, mental illness, and those who are neurodivergent, deaf or hard of hearing or who have other health concerns.”
Birdability Week runs between October 20 and 26, and Birdability is hosting virtual events throughout. Maine Audubon is hosting in-person events of our own, including:
- Accessible Birding – Back Cove in Portland on Wednesday, October 22 at 8 am (sign up here);
- Accessible Birding – Scarborough Marsh on Saturday, October 25 at 10 am (sign up here).
Additionally, Maine Audubon is working in October to support the Birdability Map. The crowdsourced map details accessibility information on birding sites around the nation, providing critical data for birders around the country as they plan birding trips.
There aren’t currently many spots in Maine on the map, and we want to do something about it. Maine Audubon staff are taking the afternoon of October 22 to visit birding sites in greater Portland and greater Bangor to gather accessibility information and upload it to the map. We are also encouraging our Chapters and birders across Maine to participate by visiting local birding sites any time and submitting accessibility information to the map.
Birdability provides a thorough checklist of items to consider at each birding site. There’s a lot of information to think about, though, and to help, Maine Audubon is providing two Birdability trainings to anyone who wants to learn more about Birdability before gathering information. Register for one of the half-hour trainings here (you only need to do one):
- Birdability Training Option 1 – Tuesday October 14 – 4:30 pm (Register)
- Birdability Training Option 2 – Thursday October 16 – noon (Register)
We hope you can join us to make Maine an easier place to bird!
