Morgan Reisinger

I am co-leading Feminist Bird Club Durham's participation in FBC's second annual birdathon! Help me fundraise for Friends of the Congo (FOTC), a nonprofit that amplifies, resources and empowers communities at the frontlines of the climate crisis in Congo.

What is a birdathon? A traditional birdathon is a fundraiser where participants form teams to count bird species that they observe, typically in a 24-hour period (ours is 4 days!). Teams reach out to their communities to gather pledges, which act as promises to commit a small donation for each bird species observed by the team. Feminist Bird Club's birdathon brings an inclusive angle to the typical birdathon experience to account for different interests and abilities. (And to maximize bird joy!)

What I am fundraising for: Congo has the majority of essential minerals that today’s world relies upon every day, such as cobalt, gold, copper and coltan, which fuel batteries for our cell phones, electric vehicles, and wind turbines. Due to its abundance of natural resources, Congo has endured centuries of exploitation and environmental racism. Since 1996 alone, over 6 million people have died in Congo and 70% of Congolese currently live in extreme poverty, earning less than $2 per day.

Friends of the Congo (FOTC) have been working with partners on the ground to facilitate reporting from the frontlines, as well as provide food, skills training, ancestral farming techniques, healthcare, and community-building practices to displaced folks. They also preserve and restore indigenous knowledge and practices by organizing forest protectors across the Congo Basin.

Want to get involved? You can:

• make a flat donation

and/or make a pledge to support our birding efforts by:

• joining us on an outing

• birding by yourself

• spending time in nature

• any other ways you can think of - be creative!

Participation can be in person or virtual - you choose! For those interested, FBC Durham will be hosting group outings on the following days (no registration required):

• May 17th - Sandy Creek Park, 8:00am - 10:30am

• May 18th - Morgan Creek Trail, 3:00pm - 5:30pm

• May 19th - Brumley Nature Preserve (North), 9:00am - 11:30am

I hope you join me!