TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN — Birding has brought in about $300 million in economic impact according to a study by the Tucson Audubon Society. Additionally, the study found that the industry supports about 3,000 jobs in the state.
Events like the Southeast Arizona Birding Festival play a significant role in this, attracting thousands of visitors who contribute to local businesses and tourism.
Bird enthusiasts are descending on Tucson this weekend, with the 2024 Southeast Arizona Birding Festival kicking off at the DoubleTree Hotel in midtown on Wednesday August 7.
The festival draws birders from around the world to see the unique diversity of birds in the Southwest region, one of the most renowned in the country.
Luke Safford, Director of Engagement at the Tucson Audubon Society, found his way to Tucson because of his love for birding. He started as a child while watching birds with his grandmother.
“After I got married, my wife wanted to go somewhere hot, and I wanted to go somewhere where there were birds,” Safford said. “We decided to come to Tucson in June. Of course it was very hot but also so many birds.”
As a member of the Audubon Society, Safford now helps run the festival. Now in its 14th year, theSoutheast Arizona Birding Festival provides events designed to educate and inspire bird lovers.
Along with birding day trips, it features conservation workshops, nature expos and presentations, including a keynote speech from author Ken Kaufman.
But Safford says there’s a deeper purpose behind the festival.
“It’s a party, right? So you have fun,” he said. “But then we want to move them to something different, like a next step, to join us in our mission to protect birds.”
Among them is 17 year-old Christopher Smith from Fresno, California, who came to the festival to give tours. He was recruited by Massachusetts-based Hunt’s Photo & Video to represent the younger generation of birders, a scene typically dominated by older adults.
Christopher got hooked on birding at a young age. He’s been sharing his photos on Instagram, where an enthusiastic group exists among young people interested in the hobby.
“I remember looking up in a tree and seeing a yellow-rumped warbler,” Smith shared. “It was like a treasure puzzle trying to find what species it was and identify the different things about the bird. That just expanded into trying to get all the birds in my area and, you know, eventually into the addiction that it is now.”
Christopher was joined by Simon Tolzmann from Chicago, another young person finding themselves enthralled by birds. He followed his grandfather, who’s been a birder for 70 years.
“I always loved wildlife and anything outdoorsy for as long as I can remember,” Tolzmann said. “But my grandpa took me out one day about eight or nine years ago and I’ve been hooked ever since.”
The festival runs from Wednesday, August 7 to Sunday, August 11. Thursday kicks off the festival with day trips to Mount Lemmon, Sabino Canyon, Sweetwater Wetlands and other areas surrounding Tucson.
All day trips involving van transportation leave from the DoubleTree Hotel across from Reid Park.
On Saturday, August 10, Arizona Game & Fish and the Reid Park Zoo will present live raptors at the hotel from 10am to 5:30pm. This event is free to the public.
For the full schedule and registration details, visit the Tucson Audubon Society's website.
——
Joel Foster is a multimedia journalist at KGUN 9 who previously worked as an English teacher in both Boston and the Tucson area. Joel has experience working with web, print and video in the tech, finance, nonprofit and the public sectors. In his off-time, you might catch Joel taking part in Tucson's local comedy scene. Share your story ideas with Joel at joel.foster@kgun9.com, or by connecting on Facebook, Instagram or X.
