Help me write ‘A Field Guide to Accessible Birding in the United States’!
Birding is such a wonderful activity -- it captures our awe, it gets us outside, it makes us happier, it sparks creativity, and it helps us connect with others. It is also inherently modifiable -- you can enjoy birds from a trail, by car, on a bench or at a bird blind, by sight or by sound -- and so has the potential to be a great hobby for people with disabilities. Unfortunately, for the 1 in 4 Americans with a disability (according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), it can be really challenging to know where we can successfully go birding.
I'm trying to change that.
Hi, I'm Freya McGregor, a disabled birder, an occupational therapist, consultant, researcher and writer working at the intersection of disability, birding, inclusion and access. I'm in the middle of writing the first ever bird-finding guide by a disabled birder for disabled birders, which will be published by Princeton University Press.
This work, and a book like this, became really important to me in May 2019 when, out of nowhere, my right knee went 'dodgy', and I suddenly couldn't walk more than 0.25 miles without significant pain and swelling. Gone was the ability to hike where ever I wanted to see birds; I needed to know how many benches were available to rest on, or if there were canoes to rent so I could enjoy birds using my arms (not my legs) to get me around. But there was nowhere to find this information! It was trial and error showing up at different places, and it got pretty frustrating.
This book, which I hope will reduce some of those frustrations for others, is tentatively titled A Field Guide to Accessible Birding in the United States, will feature two or more birding locations in each state in the continental US that have either:
A wheelchair-friendly trail or braille trail;
An accessible observation platform, bird blind or other stationary birding facilities; or
Great car birding;
AND
Generally excellent birding;
A birding spectacle (like thousands of Sandhill Cranes, or a hotspot during spring migration full of brightly colored warblers); or
A specialty bird that's only found in certain areas, so if you're trying to catch up with this species you can find out where you might do so in a way that is accessible to you.
Swallow-tailed Kites can be enjoyed by car in Alabama.
Greater Prairie Chickens sparring on a lek in Nebraska, March 2023.
In order to provide accurate, reliable and detailed accessibility information for readers, I need to visit all of these places in-person, because very, very little of this information is available any other way.
I received my book advance when I signed the contract at the end of 2022. Most authors get to keep this to compensate them for the time, energy and expertise used writing their book. Mine was spent entirely on travel expenses, and unfortunately, it's all gone. But I haven't finished yet!
I spent three months of 2023 on the road (unpaid), and only have 17 more states to visit. Unfortunately, I can't afford to fund those trips myself. That's why I need your help!
Permanent spotting scopes at an observation platform in South Carolina, October 2022.
A great sign! California, February 2024.
A bench along a boardwalk, Massachusetts, June 2023.
I'm doing my best to save money every way I can by:
Cramming as many sites into each day on the road as possible to maximize the output for the expenses of travelling;
Camping in a tent or sleeping in my car as much as possible (much, much cheaper than a hotel!);
Staying with friends whenever I can (free!);
Eating peanut butter sandwiches for lunch and cereal for breakfast;
Eating dehydrated camping meals most dinners; and
Tacking on book research trips when another organization is paying for my travel expenses for a work project, so at least the flights were already being paid for.
Sleeping in the back of the car, Ohio, May 2023.
Camping in Maryland, October 2022.
Cereal for breakfast after sleeping in the car, Illinois, May 2023.
By supporting this project, you'll be part of helping establish the necessary level of detail requested by disabled birders in bird-finding guides -- no longer will the wheelchair icon be enough...! Your support will help me finish this epic project.
$25 will cover my food for one day on the road.
$35 will pay for one night of camping.
$50 will fill up my Subaru Outback's gas tank.
$200 will pay for a one way flight to Maine or elsewhere.
This book is written first and foremost for birders whose access needs are not always met in outdoor spaces, including people who have mobility disabilities, chronic illnesses that cause pain and fatigue, neurodivergent folks with sensory sensitivities, and people who are blind or have low vision, as well as anyone who has turned up at a birding location only to find that the bathrooms are not open yet, but they didn't know that ahead of time...! But like access improvements, I suspect more people will appreciate this book:
Friends and family members of disabled birders who want to find somewhere they can all go birding together;
Birders looking to broaden their horizons and learn more about some of the United States' most epic birding experiences;
Land managers and facilities coordinators of state parks, nature centers and other birding locations who want ideas about how to make their spaces more physically accessible to the broadest number of visitors; and
Bird-finding book authors, who want to be sure the resources they are creating will meet the needs of so many more birders.
My friend Katie, birding in New Jersey, September 2023.
My parents, sister and husband, enjoying an indoor bird blind, Alabama, December 2023.
I met Sandra birding along this boardwalk in Florida, January 2024.
You can follow along with my progress on Instagram @the.ot.birder -- while on book research trips, I post photos to Stories every day. This website, too, has more information about this book and my other work, and I will be sharing updates after upcoming book research trips here on the GoFundMe platform for all supporters.
If you're unable to financially support this, please consider sharing it via social media or through other avenues -- even if your people aren't able to financially support this either, it may help them know about this book in case they're interested once it's published!
Thank you -- truly -- and happy birding!
