Hello tweeters,

I have been using the US Fish & Wildlife Service report on Wildlife Watching as a proxy for trying to show how economically important such activities are in Canada ( I can't find a similar Canadian Government report). I also use this report in a presentation I make to various groups called "Threats to Birds".

One of the interesting things I think this report does is to imply (indirectly) how poorly organized birders are in trying to achieve beneficial outcomes for the environment.

I believe the NRA has only about 3 million members - yet when any legislation is proposed that has the remotest connection to guns, they can pretty well influence almost every member of Congress. Just think what 48 million birders should be able to achieve if they could get even 10% of that number to be active! Especially since we tend to be well educated and better off - we should have the time and ability to make things happen but somehow the environment mostly gets pushed into the background.

This is not a knock against the NRA - it is a plea for birders to get more involved in the political process!

Robert Handfield
Kaleden, BC
bobnmarg at telus.net

----- Original Message -----
From: Demarie Wood
To: tweeters at u.washington.edu ; P&D Wood
Sent: Tuesday, August 25, 2009 10:25 AM
Subject: [Tweeters] FYI From BIRDER'S UNITED


The Demographics of American Birders

In the last issue of Birders United news we reported that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimated that there are now 48 million birders in the United States.

Here is a demographic breakdown of the birder population. Birders tend to be older. More than 27 percent of all Americans over 55 years of age identify themselves as a birder. For those in the 25 to 34 age group, only 13 percent are birders.

Birders also tend to be from high income groups. Nearly 30 percent of those earning $75,000 or more annually consider themselves birders. But only 17 percent of those in the $20,000 to $29,000 income group say they enjoy birding.

For all Americans with a college degree, 28 percent are birders. But only 12 percent of high school dropout say they are birders.

The birder community is predominantly white. Nearly one quarter of the white population over the age of 16 identifies him- or herself as a birder. But only 8 percent of Hispanics and 6 percent of blacks say they are birders



Demarie Wood

Port Angeles, WA

maknati at hotmail.com



"Things are never so bad but they could be worse."

Grandfather winter 1904

Working as a Teacher for Dr. Sheldon Jackson

Ikogmute (Russian Mission), AK






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