BBC’s new Code of Ethics and Conduct
If you are involved with the Brookline Bird Club, we know that you have a great love for and appreciation of birds and nature. The BBC is committed to providing programs in which all participants have a safe and welcoming space to explore their own personal connection to birds and nature.
In keeping with this commitment, the BBC board thought it was time to take a fresh look at our Code of Ethics and Conduct and Trip Leader Guidelines. The resulting updates emphasize the importance of respect for birds, the environment, and for each other.
The board has also formed a Committee on Community and Culture that will assist the club in working toward its mission of building a more diverse, more welcoming community and a culture of inclusion and respect. To learn more about our work or to get involved, please contact the committee at community@brooklinebirdclub.org.
Across Massachusetts and the country, the birding community is moving forward with a new focus on programming that is more accessible to all who want to enjoy nature and policy that promotes safety and inclusion. The BBC is excited to be part of that movement!
We recommend following resources to learn more and get involved. If you have meaningful resources you would like us to add to this list, please let us know!
Resources on safer bird watching:
Safety Tips For Better Birding
The Murmuration, a crowd-sourced document of eBird hotspots in Massachusetts, including information on safety concerns.
Further reading on inclusivity in birding and nature:
It’s Time to Build a Truly Inclusive Outdoors, Corina Newsome (Audubon Magazine, Summer 2020)
Birds are Here for Everyone: How Black Birders are Finding Community, Aliya Uteuova, (The Guardian, June 2021)
Murmuration is the Movement: Panelists discuss diversity in birding, Jon Stinchcomb (Port Clinton News Herald, May 2021)
Birding While Black, J. Drew Lanham (Literary Hub, September 2016)
How to be a Welcoming and Inclusive Birder, (Ray Brown’s Talkin’ Birds)
Creating Safe Spaces: Promoting more-inclusive experiences for all (National Wildlife Federation, August 2021)
Organizations to check out and consider supporting:
September 22 Webinar: Introduction to Nocturnal Flight Call (NFC) Recording
9/22 Webinar: Introduction to Nocturnal Flight Call (NFC) Recording On September 22 at 7PM please join us to learn about Nocturnal Flight Call (NFC) Recording. Most birders experience migration through the birds that arrive, depart, [...]
10/23 Fall Meeting with Speaker Scott Weidensaul
10/23 Fall Meeting and Lecture - All Welcome Please join us on October 23 for our in person Fall Meeting. The evening begins with a social hour at 6:30. The program starts at 7:30 with [...]
Bring Back Bobolinks!
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10/20 Webinar: Birds Up Close: An Engineer Explores Their Hidden Wonders
10/20 Webinar: Birds Up Close: An Engineer Explores Their Hidden Wonders The book Birds Up Close: An Engineer Explores Their Hidden Wonders reveals the marvel of how birds work—from the tips of their beaks to [...]
Upcoming BBC October 10 Big Day!
Upcoming BBC October 10 Big Day! We are planning a BBC October Big Day on October 10 to coincide with Cornell’s October Big Day. Last October, we held our first "October Big Day." Members reported [...]
Roberts on Raptors
Roberts on Raptors Many of you know Paul Roberts and have benefited from his wisdom and advice about raptors. For many years Paul has published his thoughts and stories about hawks in general and the [...]
September 22 Webinar: Introduction to Nocturnal Flight Call (NFC) Recording
9/22 Webinar: Introduction to Nocturnal Flight Call (NFC) Recording On September 22 at 7PM please join us to learn about Nocturnal Flight Call (NFC) Recording. Most birders experience migration through the birds that arrive, depart, [...]
10/23 Fall Meeting with Speaker Scott Weidensaul
10/23 Fall Meeting and Lecture - All Welcome Please join us on October 23 for our in person Fall Meeting. The evening begins with a social hour at 6:30. The program starts at 7:30 with [...]
Bring Back Bobolinks!
Bring Back Bobolinks! This year the BBC is introducing new Endangered Species Program. Each year we plan to focus on a single bird species facing serious threats in Massachusetts and elsewhere. With this effort we [...]
10/20 Webinar: Birds Up Close: An Engineer Explores Their Hidden Wonders
10/20 Webinar: Birds Up Close: An Engineer Explores Their Hidden Wonders The book Birds Up Close: An Engineer Explores Their Hidden Wonders reveals the marvel of how birds work—from the tips of their beaks to [...]
Upcoming BBC October 10 Big Day!
Upcoming BBC October 10 Big Day! We are planning a BBC October Big Day on October 10 to coincide with Cornell’s October Big Day. Last October, we held our first "October Big Day." Members reported [...]
Roberts on Raptors
Roberts on Raptors Many of you know Paul Roberts and have benefited from his wisdom and advice about raptors. For many years Paul has published his thoughts and stories about hawks in general and the [...]
September 22 Webinar: Introduction to Nocturnal Flight Call (NFC) Recording
9/22 Webinar: Introduction to Nocturnal Flight Call (NFC) Recording On September 22 at 7PM please join us to learn about Nocturnal Flight Call (NFC) Recording. Most birders experience migration through the birds that arrive, depart, [...]
10/23 Fall Meeting with Speaker Scott Weidensaul
10/23 Fall Meeting and Lecture - All Welcome Please join us on October 23 for our in person Fall Meeting. The evening begins with a social hour at 6:30. The program starts at 7:30 with [...]
Bring Back Bobolinks!
Bring Back Bobolinks! This year the BBC is introducing new Endangered Species Program. Each year we plan to focus on a single bird species facing serious threats in Massachusetts and elsewhere. With this effort we [...]
10/20 Webinar: Birds Up Close: An Engineer Explores Their Hidden Wonders
10/20 Webinar: Birds Up Close: An Engineer Explores Their Hidden Wonders The book Birds Up Close: An Engineer Explores Their Hidden Wonders reveals the marvel of how birds work—from the tips of their beaks to [...]
Upcoming BBC October 10 Big Day!
Upcoming BBC October 10 Big Day! We are planning a BBC October Big Day on October 10 to coincide with Cornell’s October Big Day. Last October, we held our first "October Big Day." Members reported [...]
Roberts on Raptors
Roberts on Raptors Many of you know Paul Roberts and have benefited from his wisdom and advice about raptors. For many years Paul has published his thoughts and stories about hawks in general and the [...]
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Upcoming Field Trips
Field Trips / Events
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Fall migrants at Roslindale Wetlands Urban Park
Roslindale Wetlands Urban Park 23 Coniston Rd, Roslindale, MA, United StatesA small but mighty urban wild that offers a variety of habitat. Expect to see a variety of woodpeckers, resident birds, warblers, and other migratory species, as well as a surprise or two. The path is flat with a mix of gravel and dirt surfaces with newly added boardwalks on the wetter sections. Boots are [...]
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Fresh Pond, Cambridge (rescheduled to Sept. 27)
Cambridge - Fresh Pond - TD Bank 235 Alewife Brook Pkwy, Cambridge, MA, United StatesThis walk has been rescheduled to September 27 which will be the 113th anniversary of the first-ever Brookline Bird Club bird walk on September 27th 1913 which was also at Fresh Pond.
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Rock Meadow, Belmont
Belmont - Rock Meadow 300 Mill St, Belmont, MA, United StatesCome join us for a walk at scenic Rock Meadow and Beaver Brook North, home of open fields, wetlands, ample woods and edge habitat, and public gardens which attract a wide variety of migrating song birds. Hiking is relatively easy, and should be a bit under two miles total at most, if we venture further [...]
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Fresh Pond, Cambridge – 113th anniversary of the first-ever Brookline Bird Club bird walk
Cambridge - Fresh Pond - TD Bank 235 Alewife Brook Pkwy, Cambridge, MA, United StatesA two mile walk on (mostly) paved paths around the pond. In addition to the “usual suspects”, we are likely to see some of the fall warblers, plus possibly a few of the Weird Ducks that have started to arrive. New Members especially invited to this pleasant walk! This walk is taking place on the [...]
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Arlington Reservoir
Lexington - Arlington Reservoir 210 Lowell Street, Arlington, MA, United StatesIn the fall water levels are lowered creating good conditions for ducks and shorebirds. We will also visit the adjacent Lexington community farm. Birds are found feasting on the remains of the crops planted there. We will walk about a mile on wide paths and some uneven ground (possibly muddy). Note that the reservoir area [...]