Why birding is drawing a younger crowd in San Antonio
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Birding, a hobby once associated with retirees, is attracting a younger generation in San Antonio.
Why it matters: Young people are growing up in a less social, more online world. Birders tell Axios the activity helps connect them with friends and nature, boosting their mental health.
State of play: The Mitchell Lake Audubon Center on San Antonio's South Side is a hotspot for birders. Cassie Festa, community building coordinator at the center and herself a birder, tells Axios more young people are visiting.
- Social media and birding apps have made the hobby more accessible, she says.
The big picture: The shift makes birding less intimidating, Festa says. You don't need an expensive guide book or binoculars to participate.
- The COVID pandemic also pushed people outdoors. Birding made a simple walk more enjoyable, says Festa, 31.
Zoom in: Trinity University is now home to an Audubon on Campus chapter, approved over the summer, called the Trinity Birders Association.
- President Cole Robinson, a 20-year-old rising junior majoring in environmental studies, tells Axios the chapter is a great way to combine a fun, social hobby with conservation advocacy.
- The National Audubon Society's campus network has grown from 10 chapters in 2019 to at least 117 today, The Atlantic reports.
What they're saying: Robinson says birding has helped his mental health.
- "It's very easy to sit inside and rot just by yourself," Robinson says. But birding refocuses his mind while helping him pay attention to the beauty around him.
- "I think everyone should try it out. I think you'll feel a little less lonely," he adds.
Zoom out: The growing interest in birding isn't limited to San Antonio. The Great Texas Birding Classic, which calls itself the biggest birdwatching tournament in the country, had a record number of teams (252) and participants (1,450) this year.
- There were 41 first-time teams, per the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.
What's next: The Mitchell Lake Audubon Center offers guided bird tours at 8am on Sundays. Tickets cost $10.
- On Aug. 29, the center will host a free sunrise native plant and bird walk breakfast, 6–8am.
The bottom line: We're in a "new era of birding," Festa says.