Drag Me Outside: Birding Basics

You let us drag you outside, now let us drag you to class!

Come learn tips to get started with birdwatching with this new Drag Me Outside Birding Basics class! This lecture-based course will cover everything from the difference between ornithology and birdwatching, useful traits to look for when birdwatching, birdwatching resources, and ethics, on top of teaching you how to identify 32 local Portland species.

This class is aimed for beginners and anyone interested in getting started with birdwatching. Also anyone who simply wants to build more community around birdwatching.

The first portion of this class is a two hour lecture hosted at Wool for the People in Southeast Portland on October 19th from 6:30 - 8:30pm. This will primarily be led by Efemmera Gendera, a trained bushtit researcher and ornithologist, who will be accompanied by Thespis D. Light for the usual Drag Me Outside banter.

The second portion of this class is optional and entails a two hour birdwatching session led by Efemmera on the following Saturday morning. The birdwatching location will be local to Portland and will be announced to those who reserve a spot via email. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own binoculars, but a small handful of them will be available to borrow thanks to our friends at the amazing non-profit organization Birding for the People.

The lecture portion by itself is $25 and the following birding portion is $15, making both classes a total of $40 for anyone interested in registering. You do not have to take the second portion, but it is a requirement to sign-up for the first class to be able to attend the second class as the goal is to apply your newfound knowledge in the field. Proceeds from this class are going directly to Drag Me Outside to support queer art and education. If you are unable to attend the dates we have outlined here, fret not as we plan to continue to offer this class throughout the year. More dates TBA.

About your instructor: Efemmera took an ornithology course before finishing her Bachelor's degree at Portland State University wherein she learned how to identify hundreds of local bird species. She then studied bushtit behavior via fieldwork with Dr. Sarah Sloane from 2020 to 2023. She took her knowledge of bushtits and the associated data from the project with her to get her Master's degree in Biology from the University of Kentucky wherein she answered the age-old bushtit question: Who's your daddy? Following the completion of her graduate degree, she took a break from scientific research and pivoted to becoming a drag artist. However, she remains passionate about birds and is very excited to tap into her background to educate her community about the basics and joys of birdwatching.