BirdLife exposing children to birdwatching
Published:Tuesday | May 7, 2024 | 8:26 AMSashana Small/Staff Reporter
Jamaica holds a premier spot among birdwatchers globally, who often flock to the island to observe the 31 species that are only found here.
But that enthusiasm for birds is not apparent locally, Damion Whyte, president of BirdLife Jamaica, acknowledged. It is a situation his organisation, whose mandate is to spread awareness about the island’s ornithology, is looking to change, starting with the impressionable minds of children.
For Child Month, BirdLife Jamaica will be hosting a bird watching event at the Hope Gardens. The activity, which will take place on May 11 and May 19, aims to get children interested in birds.
“It’s basically an activity to bring the kids out of the house, teach them about birds, teach them how to use binoculars, it’s just a big family event,” Whyte said. “You have to find fun stuff for the kids to do outside other than just being on the tablet, and the parents are glad for that. So when they’re out there they are walking, asking questions.”
This is the second time the event is being held. Whyte, who has been president of BirdLife Jamaica for the last three years, said the organisation was encouraged by the turnout last year, and decided to expand it to two days for this staging to accommodate everyone.
“They (children) loved it because there’s a lot of birds in the park and you see them flying around but you never get to see up close, so for example, when they see the patoo for the first time, it’s a lot of excitement,” he said.
The birdwatching will take place in the morning in two ninety-minute sessions, starting at 7.
He explained that this is part of the Global Big Day activities, an annual event that sees bird enthusiasts and nature lovers from all around the world recording their bird sightings in a database which helps scientists and researchers monitor bird populations, track migration patterns, and identify habitats that require conservation attention.
Whyte said he is anticipating heightened interest in the activity and ultimately “get changes in the country where people start caring about our environment”.
“So when you see stuff like people having pet parrot, our parrots in their homes, some a dem not even know that how they got them in the illegal pet trade you’re not supposed to have some of them as pets without a permit or something like that, so when you get kids out, they will learn and we hope that they pass on the information that will help them,” he continued.
Whyte, who grew up in Sandy Bay, Clarendon, said he has always admired birds, a love that was passed down from his grandfather.
After moving to Kingston for university, the biologist was introduced to BirdLife Jamaica, and found an environment in which his passion grew.
“It has made me an expert in birds, I came in not knowing much, didn’t even know that I could do tours … and it’s a good pastime for when you want to de-stress,” he said.
Whyte’s dream is to see more young people become involved in birdwatching, especially because of the opportunities to earn an income.
“In the tourism market there are a lot of people who come down who need guides, professional guides… in a number of countries you have people rates that people get between US$80 and US$150, so there is that one benefit,” he said, adding that this type of job is ideal for youth leaving high school or college and needing some experience in the field.
“So when we get more younger people knowing the birds and stuff, we can train them to be more guides,” he added.