Birding to Change the World Audiobook By Trish O'Kane cover art

Birding to Change the World

A Memoir

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Birding to Change the World

By: Trish O'Kane
Narrated by: Cheryl Smith
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About this listen

In this uplifting memoir, a professor and activist shares what birds can teach us about life, social change, and protecting the environment.

Trish O’Kane is an accidental ornithologist. In her nearly two decades writing about justice as an investigative journalist, she'd never paid attention to nature. But then Hurricane Katrina destroyed her New Orleans home, sending her into an emotional tailspin.

Enter a scrappy cast of feathered characters—first a cardinal, urban parrots, and sparrows, then a catbird, owls, a bittern, and a woodcock—that cheered her up and showed her a new path. Inspired, O'Kane moved to Madison, Wisconsin, to pursue an environmental studies PhD. There she became a full-on bird obsessive—logging hours in a stunningly biodiverse urban park, filling field notebooks with bird doings and dramas, and teaching ornithology to college students and middle-school kids.

When Warner Park—her daily birdwatching haven—was threatened with development, O’Kane and her neighbors mustered a mighty murmuration of nature lovers, young and old, to save the birds' homes. Through their efforts, she learned that once you get outside and look around, you're likely to fall in love with a furred or feathered creature—and find a flock of your own.

In Birding to Change the World, O'Kane details the astonishing science of bird life, from migration and parenting to the territorial defense strategies that influenced her own activism. A warm and compelling weave of science and social engagement, this is the story of an improbably band of bird lovers who saved their park. And it is a blueprint for muscular citizenship, powered by joy.

©2023 Trish O'Kane (P)2023 HarperCollins Publishers
Activists Animals Biological Sciences Outdoors & Nature Politics & Activism Science Feel-Good Inspiring
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Inspirational Memoir • Heartwarming Story • Wonderful Storytelling • Environmental Activism • Peaceful Narrative
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🙃 the narrator is not a birder... got some pronunciations wrong. otherwise she is very good to listen to.

A Great Autobiography

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A pleasant way to learn all sorts of interesting information while becoming engaged in a heartwarming story.

A good book to listen to if you are interested in a peaceful and gentle read.

charming story

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I really like the way the characters in this book worked relentlessly to achieve their goals. I actually listen to it twice because I just like the way the story was told.

Very persistent nature people

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Memoir of a Katrina-survivor, teacher, economist, bird loving woman who found her way through adversity and loss through a love of birds. The more she learned about the birds the more she saw the need to fight for the protection of their natural habitat. An activist was born!

It surprised me that I stuck with this, but I’m glad I did, as I actually enjoyed it. I have tremendous respect for this woman.

Surprisingly good memoir

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love this book: its a recipe for resistance and how to inspire the next generation and everyone around you

how to inspire birdwrs

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I loved this book….great storytelling. A compelling read about the natural world and how to protect it. A great handbook for environmental activism. Thank you Dr O’kane.

Not just for bird lovers but for everyone

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If you care about the environment this book will capture you but it also teaches how small acts can grow into big action. I’m inspired to go and make change .

Life changing

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I really enjoyed listening to the author’s story of how she became an animal and park activist, and all the amazing bird facts along the way. Recommended!

Wonderful memoir of a woman’s life and nature’s wonder

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A very well-narrated audio book. And a wonderful story of the development of an activist who finds the natural world as she navigates the world of people and politics. I really enjoyed it.

The evolution of a birder and an activist

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I loved this book. I’m not a birder- I enjoy the beauty of birds, but don’t go looking for them. I deeply appreciate how the author seamlessly combines ornithology with memoir and social and environmental justice. And teaching. I highly recommend this book.

Inspiring and instructional

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