We Were Fledged Too

When our friend Mark Jason told us that he was the Philippine ambassador for Pledge to Fledge, the first thing I thought of was "Cool!" and secondly "The WBCP is doing just that!"

Basically, Pledge to Fledge is the flagship project of Global Birding Initiative. Its goal is to share and promote birdwatching by encouraging birders to take people out and go birding. The pledge is to fledge a new birder =)

The WBCP has been doing that through the guided birdwatching trips it conducts as often as possible. Jops and I discovered the wonders of birding and became members of the club after joining a guided trip in UP Diliman last April 9, 2010. We haven't stopped birding since =)

Photo from our first guided trip!
Photo by Jun Osano.

Jops and I, together with members of the WBCP, volunteer as often as we can to share the joys of birdwatching through guided trips. It is our way of "fledging" new birders, sharing the wonders of birding, and getting people to care more about the environment.

Now that there is a campaign for this, I paused and thought about who I've "fledged." Together with the club, we've fledged quite a number of new birders and gained new friends. I also realized that I've already fledged my mom! She already knows how to ID the calls of the Philippine Pygmy Woodpecker, Black-naped Oriole, Collared Kingfisher, and Colasisi! I think my dad was a birder before me, being familiar with some birds from his childhood in Tarlac.

I brought my brother Mark, sister Nicole, and her boyfriend Vinchi birding in La Mesa Ecopark last year and I think they enjoyed it =)

My sister Nicole and Vinchi spotting a lifer at the La Mesa Ecopark.

I think I've fledged my brother. When he is on out of town trips for work, he actually gives me a call when he spots a bird and describes its field marks to me over the phone. Jops and I owe him and his high school barkada a birding trip. We also owe Nicole and Vinchi a birding trip to Subic soon =)

The First International Pledge to Fledge campaign is set on August 24-26, 2012. Jops, Mark, and I will be conducting a guided trip on August 25 at the UP Diliman campus as our pledge to fledge some new birders. Hope you can join us! Or better yet, go and fledge a new birder of your own =)

You can also sign the online petition here. =)