Hi! Please introduce yourself and share a little about your background.
My name is Melissa Hafting. I run the British Columbia Rare Bird Alert website and also founded the British Columbia Young Birders Program.
I am passionate about getting youth out in nature and about ensuring everyone feels welcome in birding, no matter their race, gender or creed.
I believe it is vital that all birding and environmental organizations do active Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) work to make everyone feel included and welcome.
I am an ebird reviewer for 5 counties.
I am passionate about wildlife conservation and love to travel to look at birds.
I am also a Black birder.
February 11 is International day of Women/Girls in Science, please share how you help contribute to science and provide any words of wisdom for girls/women out there considering a science/conservation career.
I studied science in university and hold a Bachelor of Science. I contribute to science in my career as a biologist and also in citizen science through my work with eBird as an eBird reviewer and ebird user. I also lead Christmas Bird Counts for Youth in my area - another citizen science project.
Who is your female role model and why?
My female role model is Maya Angelou. She suffered a lot of racism and sexism in her life but never became bitter and never gave up. Instead, she fought her evils with kindness and her contributions to society and literature showed you really can bring people together. She encouraged people all over the world to act for equality through words of hope.
Tell us about the British Columbia Rare Birder Blog! What is it, did you start it, if so, why did you choose to start it? What parameters make a Rare Bird rare?
A rare bird for the province is any bird that is a vagrant that doesn't breed in the province that is never or rarely seen in BC. Examples of this are a Fieldfare or Red-backed Shrike.
I did not start the British Columbia Rare Bird Alert website. It was started in 2010 by Russell Cannings. When he moved to New Zealand in 2014, I took it over. It is a website that lists all the rare birds reported in British Columbia (BC). We have separate regions for the local rarities that are specific to those regions and a main page for provincial rarities. We have moderators who run the local regions. The website is here.
How did you become interested in birds?
My dad took me out birding when I was 5 and would teach me how to feed birds. He bought me a golden field guide and I began to tick off every bird I would see when we went out. As I grew older, I grew to have an intense passion to strongly hone my bird identification skills through study and also developed a passion for rare birds.
What has been your favorite rare bird species you have seen in BC?
Oh, that is a tough one! My favourite rare bird species has probably been the Red-backed Shrike that was a first record for Canada that my friend Iwas van Veen found in Powell River. The favorite rare bird that I self-found was a Common Ringed Plover in Delta, BC.
What is your favorite "non-rare" bird species in BC and why?
My favourite common bird is a Rough-legged Hawk. I love the various colour morphs and the patterns on these birds. I love to watch them hover over their prey. They are truly majestic and beautiful looking hawks.
What are the top conservation priorities in BC for birds?
In BC we have Northern Spotted Owls that are almost extirpated with only 3 birds left in the wild. The BC Government continues to log in their habitat and these birds require old growth forests to hunt and survive in. It is a real travesty, as soon they will be extinct here in BC and the government is not doing enough to help them. In fact they are speeding it along by allowing logging in their territories.
In addition to this, there is a proposed Delta Port Terminal II expansion and a Global Terminals DP4 expansion in the Roberts Bank area of the Fraser River Estuary. DP4 the smaller of the two projects would use 138 acres of critical intertidal bird habitat.
If these 2 projects were to be approved it would drastically impact Western Sandpipers, other shorebirds and waterfowl and Barn Owls not to mention keystone species like Salmon and Orcas higher up on the food chain. The federal government is going to make a decision on this very shortly here.
Bird Note actually did a great podcast on this issue, as it will also impact our neighbours to the south in the USA. You can listen to it here.
What could be done better to help address these conservation priorities for birds?
We need to stop logging in old growth forests as it will ensure the prey the spotted owls eat (flying squirrels) can survive and that the owls have ample room to hunt and live in.
A single pair of Spotted Owls need large tracts of INTACT old growth forests to properly exist. It takes 150-200 years for an old growth forest to mature once it is cut down.
How can students help address these conservation priorities in BC or even our community in the US?
They can write their appropriate government officials and demand change.
They can study biology, ornithology or environmental science in university and take up careers in conservation.
Youth are the future stewards of this land and their passion to help save and conserve this planet is a true inspiration and driving force for me.
What do you see as the value of teaching students about birds?
I see it as vital, because they are going to be the caretakers of this planet after we go and they are entitled to be informed about the damage we are currently inflicting on it.
If they learn to appreciate the beauties of nature and birds by teaching them about it; they will be better equipped to and feel more empowered to protect and conserve it.
Your photography is INCREDIBLE!! It is obvious you have a natural talent for integrating art and photography into your life and capturing some amazing snaps of our feathered friends, please share. How did art become an important value to you and where did that spark come from?
I have always been an artistic person. I love to sing, draw and paint. I try to reflect the beauty of what I am looking at in my photography by producing an artistic image. My dad bought me my first DSLR camera and lens to document my rarities and it sparked a love from there.
Are you self-taught? What type of camera and lens do you use?
Yes, pretty much. I did one workshop to learn how to use my camera and take photos by Tim Boyer in California and it helped me a lot to get started and to take good bird pictures.
I use a Canon 7D Mark II and 100-400 II Canon Lens.
You are an ethical photographer, what does that mean?
An ethical photographer is one who does not stress out a bird or animal while taking a photo. One that doesn't destroy or manipulate a bird or animal's habitat for photography purposes and one that does not bait or harass wildlife.
If you could say anything to your teenage self, what would it be?
To never let anyone tell you that you can't do something.
Keep fighting for equality and never give up on your dreams. You can achieve anything you put your mind to!
Never let anyone make you feel you aren't welcome in the outdoors.
The outdoors is meant for everyone!
Anything else you would like to share to all the future female scientists?
To get out in nature more and see the birds and wildlife especially when you feel sad.
MELISSA IS THE FOUNDER OF THE BRITISH COLUMBIA YOUNG BIRDERS PROGRAM & RUNS THE BRITISH COLUMBIA RARE BIRD ALERT PAGE.
You can continue to follow Melissa at the following online platforms:
Blog: DARETOBIRD.BLOGSPOT.COM | RBA: BCBIRDALERT.BLOGSPOT.COM
Flickr account: www.flickr.com/photos/126805965@N03/ | Instagram: @BCBirdergirl
Interview by The Salish Sea School Executive Director, Amy Eberling | TheSalishSeaSchool.org
