In July 2025, Young Birders’ Month began as a simple idea: what if we dedicated an entire month to celebrating birds with young people across the country? A month-long format would give interested educators enough time to organize at least one activity, while enabling many to host multiple events. The momentum built during the month could then be carried forward by local birding groups in the subsequent months. We chose November for this celebration because it brings winter bird migrants and pleasant weather to most regions, and it coincides with Salim Ali’s birth anniversary and Children’s Day.
As the idea took shape, we first reached out to conservation organizations – small and large. Our focus was all about spreading the word, sharing the vision, and telling as many people as possible that Young Birders’ Month was coming. The response was far more enthusiastic than we had expected. Early on, WWF-India came on board as an eager partner to plan and execute the initiative. Many of their state teams committed to conduct multiple events and suddenly, YBM felt much bigger.
From the beginning, we were clear we wanted YBM to be a collaborative celebration, where educators, birders, organizations, parents, and children could all feel a sense of ownership. It wasn’t something to be hosted by a few, but something to be created together. With that in mind, we worked with Iora Studios to build a separate website that felt simple, welcoming, and joyful. Tanmaye from our team created a logo – a happy child and a bird coming together, capturing what we hoped YBM would stand for.
To lay a strong foundation for Young Birders’ Month, we organized a series of sessions in October for nature educators, equipping them with resources and ideas for bird walks, nature journaling, bird games, and child safety. We launched the website on 1st October and invited people to submit events. The response was slow at first, and we’ll admit we had our moments of doubt. But with persistence (and many follow-ups), things picked up. By the end of October, we had around 50 events. We also set up a separate Instagram page and a Whatsapp Channel and requested organizers to tag us so we could amplify their work and build a shared sense of momentum.
Then November arrived, it started with a weekend and our Instagram and WhatsApp channels started receiving photos, messages, and warm stories of children enjoying birds. It felt like YBM was starting to come alive. By the second week, the trickle had become an avalanche. Every time we went online, there were more events to approve on the website, more collaboration requests on Instagram, more stories waiting to be shared on Whatsapp.
We received events from different parts of the country and the diversity was truly heart-warming – bird walks in Kanyakumari, another in a small village in Arunachal, a bird walk led by young birders themselves near Hyderabad, Nature Journaling session in Kalimpong, Bird Origami in Salem and many more. Together, these activities reached children as young as four years old through to college students.
Our work was not limited to behind the scenes and coordination alone – all of us in the Early Bird team were eager to be part of the celebrations on the ground. We organized several events throughout the month including bird-themed games at Mumbai Zoo, nature walks in our neighbourhoods, nature journaling sessions in Bengaluru and Mysuru, a national bird art competition, an interschool bird quiz and a weekend bird-themed festival called Feather Fest in Bangalore.
For many participants, YBM served as a first structured opportunity to engage with birds and nature beyond textbooks or screens. These events also emphasized the importance of connecting with biodiversity in one’s own backyard, helping young nature enthusiasts develop a deep sense of belonging to the nature around them.
“Before this event, I never paid much attention to the birds around our school. But today, with the binoculars and the bird sheet, I learned to look closer. We found a Red-vented Bulbul! It was amazing to see how quickly it flew away. Now, I feel like I’m a detective who knows how to spot our local birds. It makes our school campus feel like a special jungle!” ~ Young participant from Jamnagar, Gujarat
At the same time, YBM brought nature educators from across the country into a united national celebration, showcasing their work and fostering a deep sense of connection and community among those working to bring children closer to nature.
“We thoroughly enjoyed the session. And more importantly it actually has given us a sense of motivation to continue this journey on a regular basis.” ~ Arghadeep Barua, Event host from Guwahati
By 7th November, we crossed a milestone : 100 events listed on the Young Birders’ Month website. Just over a week later, by 18th November, that number had grown to 150. And as the month drew to a close, we found ourselves looking at the final count with a mix of disbelief and gratitude : 3000+ young participants in over 200 events, across more than 80 locations in India. The initiative also received wide media attention, with coverage in several local and national dailies – https://youngbirders.in/press-coverage/
As we look back, Young Birders’ Month became far bigger than the idea it began as. We are deeply grateful to every educator, birder, parent and young participant who believed in the vision and brought this first edition of YBM to life in their own way. We hope that the connections, curiosity, and joy sparked during Young Birders’ Month will continue to grow.
We are happy to share that on popular demand, Young Birders Month will return in November 2026, ready to inspire many more young minds to discover the wonder of birds and nature.