In chronically online world, young people turn to radical alternative: birding

Young people across the Pacific Northwest are embracing birding as an offline community activity, with groups like Bird! Bellingham and the North Cascades Audubon Society leading bird walks and hosting specialized clubs. A 2022 survey found 37% of Americans ages 16 and up now engage in birding, driven partly by apps like Merlin Bird ID and platforms like eBird that combine technology with nature observation. Birding offers mental health benefits and creates intergenerational connections around shared environmental interests.