Birding: the observation and study of birds in their natural environment. Many have not heard of it, let alone done it. However, the newest St. Charles activity to hit the scene, the Birding club, will teach you all the ins and outs of birding.
The club, led by seniors Brianna Denton, Hunter Szatkowski, Becca Wlezien, Amelia Iwanski and Hayley Jelinek, is one of the many new clubs brought to East this school year.
The seniors were in the same AP Biology class in the previous school year and were inspired by the activities in class to create the club. “At the end of the 2023-2024 AP Biology year, our teacher–and now club advisor–Mr. Provencher offered an opportunity for extra credit through what he called a ‘Bird Walk.’ Motivated by curiosity and the chance to boost our grades, many of us decided to participate,” said President Denton. “Guided by Mr. Provencher and members of the Kane County Audubon Society, we spent the morning exploring local trails and observing wildlife.”
Just like that, the simple extra credit assignment turned into a club. “To our surprise, the experience turned out to be both fascinating and fun. A few of my classmates and I discovered that we genuinely enjoyed birdwatching (or birding) and wanted to continue it beyond that single event. With the support of Mr. Provencher, our friends and classmates, we were excited to turn that initial experience into something bigger: a birding club,” Denton said.
Birding club meetings are held every second Tuesday with one to two bird walks per month outside of the school week. With over a dozen regular members, the club has brought together seasoned and new “birders” alike. In association with the Kane County Audubon Society, the birding club joins in on any events held by the society in which they can participate.
While some clubs may require some prior knowledge of the topic, birding club is welcome to all newcomers. “There are no requirements! We just ask everyone to be kind, respectful and ready to participate,” said Denton.
In addition, club members are not required to make it to every meeting. “People come when they can and we are very understanding about having multiple responsibilities or conflicting schedules,” Denton said. However, it’s hard to want to miss out on a birding club adventure or meeting. Typical meetings include the infamous bird walk, where members spend their time identifying and watching birds using binoculars, bird identification apps and sometimes cameras. When not occupied with birds, they enjoy eating snacks together, making crafts and playing bird-related games.
Birding is more than just studying birds. It has been shown that it has many mental, physical and emotional benefits. According to wildlatitudes.com, a nature tour society, birding helps one connect with nature, exercise regularly through walks and relieve stress. Not only that, but birding allows people to “hone [their] senses and learn to observe little details. You’ll come to remember the names and habitats of many species. All of this keeps your neurons firing and helps form new neural connections in your brain.”
The Birding club hopes to continue into the next school year. “The plan is that this club will exist for as many years as possible, [and] we already have some potential birders excited to take over the club next year,” Denton said.
The next meeting will be held on Jan. 14, 2025 in room D156. To learn more information about future bird walks and meetings, be sure to follow @stce_birding on Instagram or look at the Orange and Black Bulletin.