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:
BBC Fall Meeting 11/7 with Amar Ayyash
BBC Fall Meeting 11/7 with Amar Ayyash Join us on Friday, November 7 at 7:00 PM for our hybrid in-person/webinar fall meeting with speaker Amar Ayyash, author of The Gull Guide. This free event [...]
December 6 All Day Pelagic from Hyannis
December 6 All Day Pelagic from Hyannis On Saturday, December 6, 2025 pelagic trip the BBC wuill sponsor a full day pelagic from Hyannis to Nantucket Shoals aboard the Helen H. We will leave the [...]
2026 Young Birders Scholarship Application
2026 Young Birders Scholarship Application Available The Brookline Bird Club will again offer two Bill Drummond Young Birder’s Scholarships to nurture interest in bird study and conservation among young birders. The scholarship covers the full [...]
Stellwagen Bank Pelagic Trip Report
Stellwagen Bank Pelagic Trip Report On October 24 the BBC sponsored a pelagic birding trip from Gloucester to Stellwagen Bank aboard a chartered boat provided by Seven Seas Whale Watch. The trip was a smashing [...]
October Big Day Report
October Big Day Report Here’s where we went birding on October 11th: 39 Birders sent in 98 checklists for Massachusetts (and a few more from NH and Maine). We recorded 145 species, and a Budgerigar. [...]
Thank You Bob Mayer!
Thank You Bob Mayer! For more than 20 years Bob Mayer, a lifetime member of the BBC, has led field trips at Arnold Arboretum and nearby locations. Bob let us know that he is going [...]
BBC Fall Meeting 11/7 with Amar Ayyash
BBC Fall Meeting 11/7 with Amar Ayyash Join us on Friday, November 7 at 7:00 PM for our hybrid in-person/webinar fall meeting with speaker Amar Ayyash, author of The Gull Guide. This free event [...]
December 6 All Day Pelagic from Hyannis
December 6 All Day Pelagic from Hyannis On Saturday, December 6, 2025 pelagic trip the BBC wuill sponsor a full day pelagic from Hyannis to Nantucket Shoals aboard the Helen H. We will leave the [...]
2026 Young Birders Scholarship Application
2026 Young Birders Scholarship Application Available The Brookline Bird Club will again offer two Bill Drummond Young Birder’s Scholarships to nurture interest in bird study and conservation among young birders. The scholarship covers the full [...]
Stellwagen Bank Pelagic Trip Report
Stellwagen Bank Pelagic Trip Report On October 24 the BBC sponsored a pelagic birding trip from Gloucester to Stellwagen Bank aboard a chartered boat provided by Seven Seas Whale Watch. The trip was a smashing [...]
October Big Day Report
October Big Day Report Here’s where we went birding on October 11th: 39 Birders sent in 98 checklists for Massachusetts (and a few more from NH and Maine). We recorded 145 species, and a Budgerigar. [...]
Thank You Bob Mayer!
Thank You Bob Mayer! For more than 20 years Bob Mayer, a lifetime member of the BBC, has led field trips at Arnold Arboretum and nearby locations. Bob let us know that he is going [...]
BBC Fall Meeting 11/7 with Amar Ayyash
BBC Fall Meeting 11/7 with Amar Ayyash Join us on Friday, November 7 at 7:00 PM for our hybrid in-person/webinar fall meeting with speaker Amar Ayyash, author of The Gull Guide. This free event [...]
December 6 All Day Pelagic from Hyannis
December 6 All Day Pelagic from Hyannis On Saturday, December 6, 2025 pelagic trip the BBC wuill sponsor a full day pelagic from Hyannis to Nantucket Shoals aboard the Helen H. We will leave the [...]
2026 Young Birders Scholarship Application
2026 Young Birders Scholarship Application Available The Brookline Bird Club will again offer two Bill Drummond Young Birder’s Scholarships to nurture interest in bird study and conservation among young birders. The scholarship covers the full [...]
Stellwagen Bank Pelagic Trip Report
Stellwagen Bank Pelagic Trip Report On October 24 the BBC sponsored a pelagic birding trip from Gloucester to Stellwagen Bank aboard a chartered boat provided by Seven Seas Whale Watch. The trip was a smashing [...]
October Big Day Report
October Big Day Report Here’s where we went birding on October 11th: 39 Birders sent in 98 checklists for Massachusetts (and a few more from NH and Maine). We recorded 145 species, and a Budgerigar. [...]
Thank You Bob Mayer!
Thank You Bob Mayer! For more than 20 years Bob Mayer, a lifetime member of the BBC, has led field trips at Arnold Arboretum and nearby locations. Bob let us know that he is going [...]
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Upcoming Field Trips
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Belle Isle Marsh and Vicinity
East Boston - Belle Isle Parking Lot 1399 Bennington Street, Boston, MA, United StatesLed by DCR staff. We will search on foot up to one mile, on flat, easy terrain for snowy owls and other raptors, native sparrows, finches, waterfowl, and other birds. This is a traveling program by car or bike. Prepare for ticks. Ages: Adults and kids 8 years+ with adult chaperone. Binoculars recommended. ADA/Reasonable Accommodations [...]
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Gulls at Revere Beach
Revere Beach - Nearest to Wonderland Stop MA, United StatesFollowing the recent talk by Amar Ayyash, author of The Gull Guide, we will have a gull focused field trip at Revere Beach. Our trip will be about appreciating gulls, basic to advanced gull ID, and rare and unusual gulls. We may move to other locations based on recent reports but will start at the [...]
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Halibut Point State Park, Rockport
Rockport - Halibut Point State Park Halibut Point State Park, Rockport, MA, United StatesA two-hour walk, about 1.5 miles, over easy to moderate gravel roads and trails in search of seasonal specialties. Boots advisable. Restrooms are available. In case of inclement weather check with leader the night before trip.
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Franklin Park – Scarboro Pond
We will look for late fall migrants and new winter arrivals in Franklin Park. Beginners welcome and encouraged. Expect to walk up to 2 miles on paved paths. Loaner binoculars available. Co-sponsored with the Franklin Park Coalition and Franklin Park Tennis Association.
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North Shore Waterfowl Expedition
Topsfield Fair Grounds 207 Boston St, Topsfield, MA, United StatesWe will visit several different water bodies in Essex County in attempting to see as many as 25 different species of Ducks and Geese. There will be some walking. We will end up at the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge. Note that an entrance fee or pass is required to visit Parker River NWR.