Birds can be found almost anywhere on campus, hiding in greenery and sometimes accompanied by members of the Midlands Bird Society on an early morning birdwalk.
The Midlands Bird Society is a community for anyone interested in birdwatching and bird preservation. The club is part of a larger network of campus bird societies known as Audubon on Campus. Audubon on Campus is a non-profit society dedicated to bird preservation.
The club has been making efforts to make campus a better place for birds and build a community of bird lovers. They participate in conservation efforts on campus and go on frequent bird walks. They have 52 members, according to Garnet Gate.
Each year, the Midlands Bird Society chooses from a pool of bird conservation projects presented by Audubon on Campus, said Chrissy Dobrowolski, club president and third-year environmental science student.
Last year, the club's big project was the Bird Collision project, which aimed to prevent birds from flying into the windows of Russell House by applying tinted adhesives. This makes the windows more visible to birds and reduces the risk of death and injury, said Micheal Kerrigan, former president and political science student.
This year, the club chose the Plants for Birds project. They will partner with local organizations such as Sustainable Carolina or Rosewood Orchard to plant more native plants on campus, said vice president and second-year master's environmental science student Connor Chilton.
"Plants for Birds was one that I thought was easier to start out with, but also really engaging," Dobrowolski said.
A group of House Sparrows sits atop a sign near the Honors College on Oct 8, 2024. House sparrows prefer to nest in manmade objects.
The group plans to plant greenery such as Beautyberry and American Holly to appeal to both migrating and native bird species said Chilton.
“Anything that's a good thicket, something that they can nestle into and hide, is great,” Olivia Thornton, the club treasurer and fourth-year art studio student, said.
Along with the projects, the club plans to host more meetings and events for members to build a community. They frequently go on bird walks around campus, Chilton said.
“Some people use it as a chance to talk with other birders. Me, I prefer to be looking for birds a little bit more, but I do enjoy getting to talk to people,” he said.
Last year, the club couldn't host as many events because of members' conflicting schedules. This semester, however, Dobrowolski said she is determined to make a change.
"So this year, I'm trying to have a lot of bird walks, meetings ... thinking of doing a bird movie night ... collaborating with Columbia Audubon Society," Dobrowolski said.
The club holds two meetings each week. Additionally, they plan birdwatching events in nearby forests, such as the Beidler Forest, said Chilton.
The club has a variety of members, from students who are already bird enthusiasts to students who only recently found the club through organization fairs, Dobrowolski said.
“We have a pretty good mixture of people who really like birds already and discovered our club that way, and people who are just curious," she said.
Dobrowolski said she was already a bird enthusiast when she joined the club her freshman year.
“Before I entered (as) a freshman, I started getting into birds, and so I knew what the club was before entering. And I approached them one day, a little bit too excitedly, during an org fair and I was like, 'I’ve been looking for you guys everywhere.' And then I just sort of jumped straight in,” she said.
Thornton described birding as an escape and something she'd grown up doing with her father.
"It's a chance to take a break from the rest of the world and observe nature around you and see it functioning,” she said.
Chilton discovered the club last semester, and has since enjoyed the environment of it. Members of the club often post photos of the birds they see around campus to the club GroupMe, he said.
"I took a class called Biology of Birds, and at the end of it, they had a bird walk, and it was with members of Columbia Audubon Society, and they said that they had a student chapter," he said. "So I looked on Garnet Gate and joined their group ... And that's been it ever since."
The club meets twice a week for birdwalks around campus and club meetings in Gambrell.