Our Work
Collectively, Feminist Bird Club chapters have raised and donated more than $200,000 to organizations and projects that we support through yearly patch sales, virtual and in-person events, Birdathons, merchandise, partnerships and more. Read on to learn more about our past patch artists and donations. We plan to expand this section of our website to highlight additional organizations we admire and have donated to in the upcoming months.
Thank you for your support!
The female Belted Kingfisher illustration for the 2022 patch was created for us by Nayl Gonzalez, who illustrated the book Something Wonderful and the official line drawing for newly discovered Chorizanthe aphanantha which was published and premiered in Madroño Vol. 65 No.4.
So far this year, we have donated $10,000 to Honor the Earth’s Land Back Initiative. Honor the Earth is a Native-run organization that aims to create awareness for and support Native environmental issues as well as provide financial and political resources for the survival of sustainable Native communities.
The kingfisher and her call are a symbol of healthy rivers and waters. We wanted to collectively recognize the female Belted Kingfisher is flashier than her male counterparts (also they are just such cool birds!)
Our 2021 patch featured a female Yellow Warbler drawn by Certified Science Illustrator Liz Wahid. 2021 patch sales allowed us to donate just over $10,000 to The Native Wellness Institute. Their mission is to promote wellness and healing within Native communities, using training and techniques rooted in Native culture. We believe that providing care to yourself and your community is more important now than ever, and we are thrilled to support this organization. We were also able to donate $2,950 to National Network of Abortion Funds in 2021, and $6,700 in 2022 then thanks to a generous match from Noah Clothing.
Yellow Warblers tend to bring a little sunshine and joy into your day when out birding. We highlighted this species to celebrating bringing joy into this year.
2020 patches were graced with a Pileated Woodpecker, illustrated by Bird Collective's Angie Co. This bird's range extends to nearly every current chapter of the Feminist Bird Club. Just over $8,000 in proceeds from the patch were split and donated to T.G.I. Justice Project and Make the Road NY.
The Transgender Gender-Variant & Intersex Justice Project's (TGIJP) mission is to challenge and end the human rights abuses committed against transgender, gender variant/genderqueer and intersex (TGI) people in California prisons and beyond.
Make the Road NY builds the power of Latinx and working class communities of color to achieve dignity and justice through organizing, policy innovation, transformative education and the provision of survival services.
Thank you to Annie Novak for the Snowy Owl illustration, which is meant to serve as a reminder to follow 1(b) and 1(c) of the ABA Code of Birding Ethics if these winter migrants are viewable in your area.
2019 patches and stickers raised more than $6,400 and was split between Pueblo sin Fronteras, a group of volunteers who has been working for the past 15 years to safely assist migrants and refugees in crossing the Mexico/U.S. border and the Native Youth Sexual Health Network (NYSHN), an organization by and for Indigenous youth that works across issues of sexual and reproductive health, rights, and justice throughout the United States and Canada.
Terri Nelson illustrated our 2018 bird - the Spotted Sandpiper. These birds have been observed engaging in polyandry, making them a fun choice for the FBC patch bird. Thanks to everyone who purchased a 2018 patch, which allowed us to donate upwards of $4,500 to Black Lives Matter.
The Black Skimmer was chosen to showcase a unique shorebird that nests on New York City beaches during the summer months, since at the time it was created Feminist Bird Club was still only in NYC. Special thanks to Brooklyn artist and NYC chapter leader Jen Kepler for the illustration!
2017 patch sales raised $2,000 total. $1,000 was donated to New York Abortion Access Fund and $1,000 to the Women's Initiative.
The Painted Bunting on the 2016 patch was embroidered by referencing photographs and field guides. Highlighting this species was a nod to the male Painted bunting observed by many in Prospect Park, Brooklyn during the winter of 2015/2016. This patch raised $300 dollars in donations for Planned Parenthood NYC.