FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: May 13, 2025
Contact: Audrey Schwartzberg, ANCA Communications Director, [email protected], 518.891.6200


Black Birders Celebration Set for May 31 at John Brown Farm
Adirondack Diversity Initiative and John Brown Lives! host special birding event

LAKE PLACID, N.Y. — Bird lovers from across northern New York are invited to celebrate the beauty of birds, nature, and the regional community of Black birders later this month. In honor of the sixth annual Black Birders Week, the Adirondack Diversity Initiative (ADI) and John Brown Lives! will host a special day of birding at the John Brown Farm State Historic Site in Lake Placid, N.Y. on Saturday, May 31, 2025.

Established in 2020, Black Birders Week is a nationwide celebration of diversity in the outdoors, highlighting the contributions of Black birders and naturalists while promoting inclusivity in natural spaces. The theme for this year’s event, celebrated nationwide from May 25 to May 31, is “Grounded in Community” and will focus on the collective joy and power of the Black community in the outdoors. 

“As an avid birder of color, I deeply understand the significance of safety and community in birding and exploring new natural spaces,” said Tamara Jolly, Community Initiatives Manager at ADI, a program of the Adirondack North Country Association (ANCA). “I felt truly seen and recognized when I first learned about the inaugural Black Birders Week. ADI is thrilled to partner with John Brown Lives! to host a local event that builds that sense of belonging and representation in our region.”

John Brown Farm, the former home and final resting place of abolitionist John Brown, offers exceptional birding opportunities for beginning and experienced birders alike. Event participants will learn the basics of birding through a variety of family-friendly activities, including guided walks led by guest naturalists. Birding experience is not necessary, and all are encouraged to attend. The event also includes tours of John Brown Farm and its Timbuctoo exhibit, which highlight African American roots in the Adirondacks. 

Giselle Pemberton, a guide with the New York City Bird Alliance, and Stephan Roundtree, an avid birder and Regional Deputy Program Director of Vote Solar, will share knowledge and lead guided birding walks. Renowned local artist Winosha Steele will provide curated birding activities for families including a children’s scavenger hunt and birding storytime. Attendees will enjoy a light breakfast and lunch prepared by professional chef Lewis Hughes, who is a descendant of Lewis Sheridan Leary, a Black man who fought alongside John Brown at Harper’s Ferry and was killed during the raid. Hughes will also lead a wreath-laying ceremony at the John Brown Farm gravesite. 

Described by founders as a “bold and unapologetic reclamation of the Black community’s role in environmental spaces — a powerful celebration of our enduring connection to the earth and a resounding call to dismantle the oppressive systems that have excluded us,” Black Birders Week is about more than just birding. The celebration aims to reshape narratives and support a movement for liberation, healing, and the transformative power of nature as a tool for resistance and reclamation. Learn more about Black Birders Week at www.blackafinstem.com. 

ADI and JBL! strive to foster that connection and community spirit here in the Adirondacks while empowering new and diverse stewards of the Park, its wild places, and its communities. 

The Black Birders event occurs on the weekend of the Northern New York Audubon (NNYA) Great Adirondack Birding Celebration on Friday, May 30 and Saturday, May 31. A Birders Mixer, hosted by NNYA, will take place at Hotel Saranac in Saranac Lake on Friday evening, and additional free birding-related activities will be offered at Paul Smith’s College Visitor Interpretive Center on Saturday afternoon. Hotel Saranac is offering discounted rooms for Black Birders Week participants.

For the event schedule and other information, visit bit.ly/nny-black-birders-event. Registration is encouraged but not required. Contact Tamara Jolly at [email protected] with questions about the event. 

Existing at the intersection of environmental and transformational justice, the Adirondack Diversity Initiative (ADI) works to make the Adirondacks a welcoming and inclusive place for both residents and visitors while ensuring a vital and sustainable Adirondack Park for future generations. ADI is based at ANCA’s office in Saranac Lake, N.Y.

ANCA is an independent, nonprofit corporation with a transformational approach to building prosperity across northern New York. Using innovative strategies for food systems, clean energy, small businesses, and equity and inclusion, ANCA delivers targeted interventions that create and sustain wealth and value in local communities. 

Provided: one (1) photo 

Photo: Adirondack Diversity Initiative Community Initiatives Manager Tamara Jolly leads a nature walk at Great Camp Sagamore during the Cultivating Community Leaders Retreat in August 2024.

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