A bird outing for everyone! Anyone is welcome to join us, this trip is designed to be intentionally inclusive and accessible for birders who have intellectual disabilities as well as accessibility challenges as a result of a disability or other health concerns. Visual supports will be provided ahead of time to interested registrants to help with bird identification. A social story will also be made available to help participants who may need support understanding what birding is and what to expect from the outing. The location’s accessibility features have been documented in detail to help you decide if you’d like to attend. You can read the Birdability site assessment here and a write-up from Trail Finder here. We’ll have 10 pairs of binoculars on hand to loan out to participants.
Questions if this is a good fit for you? Reach out to us at birddiva@gmail.com
We’ll spend a little time at the beginning of our outing setting the scene for our exploration together. As we navigate the trail, we’ll listen for bird vocalizations and watch for migrating and resident songbirds. We’ll also stop from time to time and use mindfulness activities to connect with the land, the birds, and ourselves.
Raven Ridge Natural Area is a 363-acre parcel managed by the Vermont Nature Conservancy. This site is known for its incredible diversity and connectivity between the Green Mountains and the Champlain Valley. Birds that we might expect to see include Common Ravens, Turkey Vultures, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Marsh Wrens, and many more.
Trip leaders:
Bridget Butler is an experienced bird guide and educator who has been providing outdoor experiences for folks of all ages for 20+ years. She specializes in Slow Birding which is a birding practice that uses a more mindful approach to birding and bird identification. She’s excited to create more inclusive bird outings for folks of all abilities, identities, & expertise - birding is for everyone!
Lis Duckworth is a special education teacher with over 10 years of experience teaching in the classroom and in outdoor education programs. She is a co-founder of Outside OT, working to empower and equip nature-based educators and families with strategies to successfully support kids with disabilities in an outdoor environment. She also works with young adults with intellectual disabilities at The Yellow House Community in Middlebury, Vermont. Lis is an excited novice birder who also believes that birding is for everyone!
Trail description: The universally accessible boardwalk is wood and the trail is well-packed crushed stone. Benches are roughly every eighth of a mile. Ramp slopes on the boardwalk are 1:12 ratio and trail slopes are 1:20 ratio.
Estimated Distance: 750’ fully accessible boardwalk across a wetland and meadow. A 900’ fully accessible trail that continues into the forest to a platform overlook at a beaver pond.
Parking: There is one designated van-accessible parking spot that has room for a ramp.
Bathrooms: There are no bathrooms at this site.
Number of attendees: 12 participants
Registration is required to hold your spot for this outing. We are requesting that participants make a donation to Birdability.org/suport in lieu of a fee for the outing.