Brent Peterkin Leads Way Into Birdland

Large winged Ospreys circled overhead. Coupled Mourning Doves sang to each other on a thin leafless tree. Hunting Tree Swallows sped through the air in blue flashes. 

That was the scene this week at the Quinnipiac Meadows Nature Preserve, a local Narnia-esque green space owned by Gather New Haven (GNH).

GNH Executive Director Brent Peterkin was scoping out the preserve, and pointing out its beauty, in advance of leading community bird walks on Friday and Saturday. 

The walks are a GNH-led celebration of Black Birders Week for New Haveners curious about the hobby of bird watching and/or looking for a space in nature to ease their minds.

Peterkin will host the group bird walks at East Rock Park Friday from 3 – 5 p.m., and then at the Quinnipiac Meadows Nature Preserve at 1040 Quinnpiac Ave. Saturday from 8 – 10 a.m.

Click here to register for the event. 

Black Birders Week which was established by several Black STEM professionals was founded by a collective called BlackAFinSTEM.

The collective and initiative were established in response to the 2020 Central Park incident involving Black nature enthusiasts and bird watcher Christian Cooper. The incident, which happened the same day as the murder of George Floyd, involved a white woman named Amy Cooper calling the cops on Christian Cooper in Central Park after he asked her to leash her dog in a part of the park that requires pets to be leashed. 

After Peterkin heard about the incident he began following the conversation that ensued around increasing visibility of Black nature enthusiasts and Black birders, who like Christian can at times face racially motivated challenges and dangers while engaging with the outdoors environment. 

As a result, Peterkin discovered a personal interest in bird photography and watching. 

GNH maintains over 80 acres for land conservation in six nature preserves spread throughout New Haven. 

Peterkin described the Quinnpiac Meadows preserve as his favorite property, offering the greatest ​“separation between city and nature.” 

When one enters the preserve tucked away on Quinnpiac Avenue, one’s ears are immediately graced with a symphony of bird songs and a hug of greenery along its pathways. 

The preserve has two pathways that are each carved in the shape of a loop. They provide views of the Quinnpiac River and the native animal life that make use of it. 

On the river walk trail, a Garter snake, Ospreys, Red-winged Blackbirds, Tree Swallows, and Mourning doves welcomed this reporter and Peterkin to the preserve. 

Peterkin’s goal of the weekend events is to show New Haveners ​“what nature can do” by introducing green space as a safe space of education, healing, and tranquility. ​“There are so many benefits to being more present in nature,” he said. 

He added that he particularly hopes to reach residents of the Black community to introduce them to the resource that nature is. 

Some of those benefits include learning patience, improving one’s understanding of wildlife and biodiversity, learning to be an informed citizen who cares about conservation, and engaging in stewardship, Peterkin said. 

“This is an invite to a free resource that can really boost your mental health and wellness in so many ways,” he said. ​“In a way, it’s like a classroom.” 

What started off as a curious test of his photography skills became a personal passion of bird watching for Peterkin. The first spark of curiosity came from seeing a Screech owl at East Rock Park. 

The bird watching experiences Friday and Saturday for some may be a one-off experience. For others it can form a budding interest in nature, birds, plant life, water, and other aspects of ecology and STEM, Peterkin suggested. 

Cameras are not required for the event, and guests will be provided first come first serve with binoculars. The walks are limited to small groups of about 12. 

Peterkin said he hopes the event will help him to connect with local birders to eventually establish a Black Birders group in New Haven.

Peterkin added that learning more about birds locally can help a community learn about the health of its environment. Increases or describes in species can tell a story of how the area is changing.

While birding on his own, Peterkin gets help from resources like the Merlin Bird ID app, which allows users to take photos of birds and/or record bird songs to identify species in the area. ​“A lot of times you hear them, but don’t see them. So this is my hack,” he said. 

During Wednesday’s walk in the preserve, Peterkin’s app listened for singing around him, then reported that there were Red-winged Blackbirds in the area. 

The first few people to register for the weekend walks will be entered in a a raffle to win their own free copies of This Is a Book for People Who Love Birds by Danielle Belleny or Birding in Connecticut by Frank Gallo. 

The preserve has several bird boxes and nesting platforms for Tree Swallows and Ospreys, which visitors can view from a distance. 

Occasional signs along the trails tell visitors about waterbirds in the Quinnpiac and warn them to watch out for laid turtle eggs.

While quiet, the preserve never leaves you alone. Birds fly overhead with talons grasping fish or stealthily follow behind you on the trail. 

In the future Peterkin hopes to use spaces like the Quinnpiac Meadows preserve as a place for New Haveners affected by trauma to go on nature wellness walks. He is currently working with a nature therapist to arrange facilitated experiences with local veterans, domestic violence victims, gun violence victims, and law enforcement officials.