Engaging Kids with Special Needs Through Birding

2 April – 12 June 2023
La Asunción, La Isla Margarita, Venezuela

For children with special needs and their parents, birdwatching is more than just an activity to connect with nature–it also provides an opportunity to ground themselves in it and fosters socialization and critical thinking.

In 2023, Juan Sebastián and Ariana Contreras, and almost 100 other kids, their parents, and community members from La Asunción, had the opportunity to observe birds in a thoughtful and inclusive way, thanks to the “Involucrando Niños Especiales en el Conocimiento de las Aves” program.

With the collaboration of local institutions such as the Universidad Nacional Abierta, Dique La Asunción, Cerro La Libertad and El Hotel Sun Sol Ecoland, participants learned about birds through fun and diverse activities over a three-month period.

Participants were able to get up close to the birds and find their place in nature within an accepting and diverse group during hiking activities, including walks with binoculars, birdwatching events using a telescope, and excursions into the ecosystems the birds inhabit in the forest and stream. Using eBird, participants recorded many species and became participating scientists.

In addition to hands-on science and hiking activities, the school conducted art activities that encouraged children’s creativity and fostered connections between nature and children. The children’s drawings of birds will decorate their homes, serving as reminders that birds are always nearby.

These events mark the second year of collaborative efforts between Involucrando Niños Especiales en el Conocimiento de las Aves and Celebrate Urban Birds. Jemimah Rivera, a marine biologist and co-founder of Involucrando Niños Especiales en el Conocimiento de las Aves, began this collaborative project in 2022, inspired by her friend Juan. Regarding him and his impact, she says:

“Juan Sebastián (26 years old), an autistic young man who doesn’t socialize…came to my house with his father to give me a rainstick, and he was able to socialize with me. This young man has been the inspiration for writing this project for two consecutive years. I’ve known him since he was 3 years old and was aware of all the challenges his parents had during his upbringing and for his education. Although his father denied him the right to attend several activities last year and was a strong opponent to his improvement, thank God the young man showed great improvement and is now more involved in society. That gift he brought to my house is the reason I continue to help him.” [translated]

The limitations we apply to people with disabilities are mostly limitations of our imagination, patience, and time. Special people like Juan show us that they have creativity and intelligence; we are different from each other, neither better nor worse. When some dismiss people with special needs or ignore them, initiatives like Engaging Children and their participants know that the inclusion of special people in society requires equitable and sensitive efforts, and that the inclusion of a group of people creates a more substantial and humane society for all, especially our future leaders—the children—growing up now.