First Annual Freedom Day Bird Walk
Join us at the WorldBeat Center for a memorable experience of our First Annual Harriet Tubman Freedom Bird Walk, a special event in celebration of Juneteenth. Immerse yourself in nature and the enchanting world of birds while fostering environmental conservation. This sensorial journey will introduce you to the diverse birds of the magnificent Balboa Park.
The bird walk will commence at the WorldBeat Center, where we will take a moment to reflect on the significance of Juneteenth and talk about the significance of Black heritage flags. We will walk through our closest canyon in Balboa Park and take stops to talk about Harriet Tubman and how she used nature as a tool to help free her family and many slaves. We will also talk about native plants (led by Kumeyaay ethnobotanist Kristie Orosco), bird species encountered throughout the walk (led by local birder Carlos Martínez) as well the benefits of birding for our mental wellbeing.
As an act of gratitude and reciprocity and land acknowledgment of the Kumeyaay, San Diego’s native tribe, we will plant a native shrub at the WBC’s Healing Peace Garden. In addition, we will have African drumming and delicious vegan soul food.
All participants will receive complimentary seed packets, allowing you to contribute to the growth and nurturing of nature. Additionally, you can choose to opt-in for a free online course, “Growing Wild: Gardening for Birds and Nature” courtesy of the Cornell of Ornithology’s Bird Academy. Fill out the pre-registration form to request this online course and receive a code via email.
Limited giveaways will include journals and copies of the captivating book “Keep Looking Up” by Tammah Watts. Don’t miss out on this extraordinary event celebrating freedom, nature, and the indomitable spirit of Harriet Tubman. Join us for an unforgettable experience connecting with birds, the community, and the environment.
To learn more about the birds in Balboa Park visit the Balboa Park website.
About Juneteenth
Juneteenth is the oldest internationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States.
From its Galveston, Texas origin in 1865, the observance of June 19th as the African American Emancipation Day has spread across the United States and beyond.
Today Juneteenth commemorates African American freedom and emphasizes education and achievement. It is a day, a week, and in some areas, a month marked with celebrations, guest speakers, picnics and family gatherings. It is a time for reflection and rejoicing. It is a time for assessment, self-improvement and for planning the future. Its growing popularity signifies a level of maturity and dignity in America long over due. In cities across the country, people of all races, nationalities and religions are joining hands to truthfully acknowledge a period in our history that shaped and continues to influence our society today. Sensitized to the conditions and experiences of others, only then can we make significant and lasting improvements in our society.
About Harriet Tubman
Born a slave around 1822—making this year the bicentennial of her birth—on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, Araminta Ross, later known as Harriet Tubman, was an American abolitionist and political activist. She escaped and made some 13 missions to rescue roughly 70 enslaved people through the Underground Railroad, a network of antislavery activists and safe houses.
She was also a naturalist, known for using an owl call to guide her family and others in their escape from slavery.
Much of her early life was spent in nature, in landscapes like ours in Piscataway Park: wetlands, meadows, and woodland areas. There she developed skills that helped in her quest for freedom.
Working in timber fields, Tubman learned how to be comfortable in the woods, how to read the landscape, and became familiar with the sounds of nature. Those sounds became signals to those escaping and their allies on the Underground Railroad to know when it was or wasn’t safe to come out of hiding. Tubman used calls from the Barred Owl, or “hoot-owl,” because it would blend in with the sounds of the night and not raise suspicion.