Aaron Haiman: From Birding Passion to YouTube Channel

Written by Mariana C.

Today we are undergoing what has been called “The Sixth Extinction” due to the huge number of species that are disappearing from our planet. There are about 8 million species of plants and animals on Earth. It is estimated that currently one million of those species are threatened with extinction. Added to this, we are running out of time to halt and reverse biodiversity loss. According to the UNEP, we only have until 2030 before it’s too late. But what can be done? Environmental issues often seem too large for a citizen to participate in the solution, yet it turns out that volunteering and community science can be two powerful tools to fight biodiversity loss.

Aaron N.K. Haiman is an environmental scientist with a passion for birding. He has been involved in habitat restoration and cleanup projects, invasive species control and monitoring, banding and migration count efforts, and constantly volunteers with bird-focused organizations. He has a project called “A Birding Naturalist” which now includes a blog and a YouTube channel. In this feature, Aaron tells us about his project, his work on conservation, and how we too can get involved.

Q & A - Aaron Haiman (of A Birding Naturalist)

Please tell us about your background and why you started your blog “A Birding Naturalist” in 2012.

I have been interested in animals and nature from a young age. When I was six years old, I attended a class on raptors led by an amazing naturalist named Allen Fish, the Director of the Golden Gate Raptor Observatory (GGRO). Allen has inspired me on many levels. He is a passionate naturalist, has a wealth of knowledge about birds and ecosystems, and is a gifted orator. I began going to any event that he was leading, and a few years later started volunteering for the GGRO. This cemented my passion for birds, nature, community science, and science communication. Those passions have continued to drive me, and have carried me through undergraduate studies at the University of California, Berkeley, bird research internships, graduate school at the University of California, Davis, and my c urrent career.

Early in graduate school, I often discussed topics with my friends and family that I thought more people should be aware of, such as avian science, climate change, and environmental policy and law. After hearing me talk about these things, both my wife and brother suggested that I start a blog to make such topics more widely accessible. When these two people both tell me something, I am smart enough to listen, and so the “A Birding Naturalist” blog was born.

In 2020, you created a YouTube channel with the same name as your blog. In which ways did this allow you to expand your project, and which of your wildlife interests do you explore through it?

For several years, I wrote a monthly column for a set of small community magazines in the east bay. However, the publishing company overseeing these magazines and I had a falling out over issues of racial and gender equity and representation. After ending my association with that publishing company, I found that I had some creative energy that was going unused. I thought about several different directions I could go in, but being in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, I decided that a YouTube channel would likely be a good expansion.

My hope is to bring information on the same types of subjects that I wrote about on my blog to people who are more interested in watching visual content rather than reading it. With the help of my wife as video editor, I began creating content for a YouTube channel focused on birds, nature, and ecology. I have discussed many aspects of ecology and evolution, habitat restoration, biodiversity, birds and bird behavior, natural history, and my work as an environmental scientist. I have really enjoyed working on my channel, and its subscriber count has been growing slowly but steadily.

As an environmental scientist, you are aware of current conservation issues and have worked on several conservation projects. Could you describe the one that you consider the most relevant and why that is?

The most pressing issue facing conservation is the loss of biodiversity. All around the world, species are going extinct every day. Each one is a piece of the puzzle that is the ecosystem we live in and rely on, and represents a path of evolution that stretches back billions of years and will never be repeated. Everytime a piece goes missing, it is not only a tragic loss which damages the whole picture, but it weakens the connections of the pieces that remain, making them more vulnerable in the process. If enough pieces disappear, the puzzle falls apart. Climate change, habitat destruction, and invasive species all contribute to the loss of biodiversity.

Most of the projects I have worked on have been efforts to guard against biodiversity loss. My current work focuses on protecting streams and rivers of California and thus provide homes for the plants and

animals that rely on them. By ensuring that these watery habitats are healthy and stable enough to last into the future, my hope is that all the species that live in them will also be healthy and stable.

You have enjoyed birding from a young age, and have volunteered in bird-focused organizations throughout your life. Why do you find it important to engage in these activities? Also, what would be a good way for people who are interested in birding to have an initial approach?

I have volunteered for a couple of dozen groups over the years. Most of them have been focused on birds, science, and/or education. I have gained so much from these volunteer experiences learning about nature and about myself as well. This multifaceted learning is one of the reasons I think volunteering is so important and valuable. Volunteering is also a way to contribute to the societies we all live in. Each of us can take actions that make the world a better place, and donating our time, energy, and skills is one way of making that happen.

Regarding the second part of the question, getting in touch with a local birding group is a tremendous way to learn more about birding. Doing this allows each of us to meet people who are also interested in birding, be introduced to amazing locations where birds can be found, see beautiful bird species, and learn from others in the community who have accumulated huge amounts of information that they are usually eager to share.

Final thoughts

We are at a turning point where our actions will determine whether or not we manage to curb biodiversity loss. In the midst of this crisis, it is not only important to work on conservation efforts, but to communicate the issues to the public, so that more people become aware and interested in the matter.

Aaron Haiman has combined his passion for birds, nature, and science communication to create his project: “A Birding Naturalist”. Through his blog and YouTube channel, he hopes to make those topics accessible to a broader audience.

Aaron encourages volunteering because he believes that this experience allows people to learn both about nature and about themselves, as well as contribute to building a better world.

What do you think you can do to join conservation efforts?

From volunteering on a project to getting informed and spreading the word, we can all participate somehow.

Bio

Aaron has been a student of nature all his life. This has included volunteering as a hawk counter, studying timber harvest impacts on songbirds, working on habitat restoration, and more. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of California, Berkeley (Environmental Science) and two Master’s Degrees from the University of California, Davis (Avian Science and Animal Behavior). He is currently a Senior Environmental Scientist at the Wildlife Conservation Board.

Links

YouTube: https:// youtube.com/@ ABirdingNaturalist Blog: https:// abirdingnaturalist. wordpress.com/

Instagram: @abirdingnaturalist