MEET HYWANIA THOMPSON!
Hywania smiles and birds on a sunny day at UW-Arboretum (photo courtesy of Hywania).
I am originally from the Chicago area and moved to Madison in 2005 to work as a radio news anchor and reporter. I currently work full time in IT, and I work as a freelance writer. I serve on the boards of directors for REACH-A-Child and Goodwill of South Central Wisconsin. I love to travel, attend concerts and get outdoors!
What is your ‘spark story’—how you got into birding?
Last fall, I saw fellow birder Jasmine Banks post on Facebook about the BIPOC Birding Club of Wisconsin. I immediately requested to join the group and attended my first outing in October 2021. I’m so grateful to Dexter and Jeff for creating this inclusive community. It’s nice to get outside, meet fellow birders and learn something new along the way. I’ve attended several outings since then, and even took a class at the arboretum about bluebirds!
If you could encounter any bird in the world, what would it be?
All of the birds I haven’t seen yet! Seriously though, I would love to see an eagle, Indigo Bunting, and a Yellow Warbler (actually, I would love to see all the yellow birds!).
Sunflowers at Pope Farm Conservancy in Middleton (public domain image).
Favorite places to bird?
UW Arboretum, Pope Farm Conservancy, and Olbrich Gardens. I would love to return to Phoenix someday with my binoculars and my Canon. There are so many species of birds at the Desert Botanical Garden and the Japanese Friendship Garden and I didn’t have a chance to enjoy watching them. I also would love to go birding in Ireland.
What advice would you share with new birders?
My advice to new birders is don’t be afraid to ask questions. At first, I was a little nervous about posting pictures in the group and asking others to help identify birds. Being new to birding, there were only a few birds I could identify—hello owls, cardinals and bluebirds! Once I got past my initial nervousness and asked for help, I found others in the group were more than willing to share their birding knowledge.
Remember, birding is for everyone! Know someone (maybe you!) who’d like to be featured in our Meet a Birder series? Send an email to Kaitlin at ksvabek@madisonaudubon.org.
Cover image: A Yellow Warbler perched in a bunch of leaves. (Photo by Kelly Colgan Azar)
