MEET RITA FLORES WISKOWSKI!
Rita (left) birds along Lake Michigan using a spotting scope (photo by Dexter Patterson).
I am the Milwaukee Area Coordinator for the BIPOC Birding Club of Wisconsin and also serve on the board of the Wisconsin Metro Audubon Society, where I create diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. Birding is a fun hobby, but I also see it as more than a hobby and encourage others to do the same. As birders we can be advocates for nature and natural areas, contribute to citizen science, help get others out into nature, or many other ways that make a difference in the world.
What is your ‘spark story’—how you got into birding?
I’ve been paying attention to nature and trying to identify things since before I can remember. But I think my spark bird that really got me seriously into birding was a Great Horned Owl. We discovered a nest in a neighborhood cemetery about 15 years ago and have been watching those owls ever since. It was soon after that discovery that I learned how to connect with local birders and started to learn more about birding and the birding community.
If you could encounter any bird in the world, what would it be?
That’s a hard question, because any bird species that I add to my life list is super exciting. But if I had the opportunity, I think Blue-footed Boobies would be a spectacular bird to see.
Havenwoods State Forest (courtesy of the Friends of Havenwoods).
Favorite places to bird?
This might be a cheating answer, but all the Milwaukee County Parks have been fun to explore, especially those on the Lake Michigan lakefront. I also really love Havenwoods State Forest, which is a magical little place within the city of Milwaukee. It is crazy the nature you can observe in a park that is surrounded by industrial sites, housing projects, and busy streets. And I also love taking day trips to Horicon Marsh, which is just a little over an hour drive from my house, but seems like a different world.
What advice would you share with new birders?
There are so many ways to enjoy birding and the best way is the way that brings you the most joy. I personally like the friendly competitiveness of it and building my life list. I also really love to introduce birding to people, which is why I am one of the leaders of the BIPOC Birding Club of Wisconsin. The Club always has new birders at each event and talking to them, seeing the spark that is igniting, and celebrating life birds with them has been so much fun. I think that the community of people you can share this hobby with is just as important as the birds you observe. I’ve learned so much from those I’ve had the pleasure of meeting while out birding. So I guess my advice would be to enjoy it in whatever form you please and connect with people who help you become the kind of birder you want to be.
Remember, birding is for everyone! Know someone (maybe you!) who’d like to be featured in our Meet a Birder series? Send an email to Kaitlin at ksvabek@madisonaudubon.org.
Cover image: A Great Horned Owl opens its wings on a nest. (Photo by Arlene Koziol)
