Birding, Outreach, and Building an Ecological Identity

On this episode of the Bird Joy Podcast, Dexter Patterson and Jason Hall sit down with Sharon Dorsey, an urban naturalist, wildlife biologist, educator, and founder of SharInNature, to discuss birding, outreach, and the power of building an ecological identity.

Sharon’s work centers on helping people notice and connect with the ecosystems that surround them, especially in cities and everyday spaces. Through birding, research, education, and storytelling, she encourages people to see themselves as part of nature rather than separate from it.

In this conversation, Sharon shares her journey into wildlife biology and fieldwork, her experiences studying wetlands and shorebirds, and how her scientific background informs the way she teaches others to observe the natural world. She also discusses her writing, including her book Shorebirds: A Compare and Contrast Book and her contribution to Been Outside: Adventures of Black Women, Nonbinary, and Gender Nonconforming People in Nature.

The episode also explores Sharon’s work through SharInNature, her approach to community outreach, and how representation, storytelling, and everyday observation can help people build deeper relationships with ecosystems around them.

Whether you’re a longtime birder or just starting to notice the wildlife in your neighborhood, this conversation offers inspiration and practical ways to reconnect with the natural world right outside your door.

BIPOC Birding Club of Wisconsin 

In Color Birding