Connor O’Brien and Trevor Clair were separately in search of an alligator on the Eckerd College campus last fall when they struck up a conversation and found they were both bird enthusiasts.
“I reached out a couple of weeks later to see if he was interested in starting a bird club with me,” O’Brien said. “I was kind of surprised there wasn’t one, since there is a lot of interest among students and faculty. Plus, Eckerd has the highest diversity of birds on any college campus in the United States.”
So far, the two have recruited 70 students to join their email list and they have taken several excursions around campus, spotting a juvenile bald eagle and kayaking to a nearby mangrove island. They have also planted more native plants on campus to improve bird habitats. Future plans include possible field trips to Corkscrew Swamp in Immokalee and a camping trip to the Everglades.
“I think the interest will go up more once we start doing off-campus events,” O’Brien said.
The impetus for the new chapter is to spread awareness of all the perils birds face, he said. “I think people just kind of take them for granted. One of the first steps is to get people more excited and use that to get them more involved in conservation. Then, we can do some great things for this world.”
