MEET JASMINE BANKS!
Jasmine Banks (left) birds with her daughter and granddaughter. (Photo courtesy of the BIPOC Birding Club of Wisconsin)
I’m a second generation Madisonian whose family has been in Madison for five generations, and am proud to call this city home. I’m a mother of one and grandmother of two, and spend my days working as a Program Manager at Operation Fresh Start working with emerging adults and am the CEO & Founder of Perfect Imperfections, which sells handcrafted natural goods for the body and home. In my spare time, I am a lifelong learner, herbalist in training, gardener and most recently added birder to my list of loves.
What is your ‘spark story’—how you got into birding?
I heard Dexter Patterson’s interview on Angela Russell’s podcast, Black Oxygen, and his enthusiasm about Black folks and birding was what sparked my interest. After listening to Dexter’s interview, I began to follow him on social media and found out when the next BIPOC Birding Club of Wisconsin walk was going to be. I asked my daughter Maryah and my six-year-old granddaughter Riley to join me and our first outing was at Cherokee Marsh. I’ve been hooked ever since.
If you could encounter any bird in the world, what would it be?
A Rainbow Lorikeet or Atlantic Puffin!
Boardwalk at Cherokee Marsh. (Creative Commons)
Favorite places to bird?
My own backyard, meaning wherever I happen to be. I’ve seen some beautiful birds across the street from my house as well as at Badger Rock Community Center where I garden and other places around the city. And then Aldo Leopold Foundation and Cherokee Marsh.
What advice would you share with new birders?
Try it even if it’s not something you think is up your alley. You just might like it. Find a group to explore with, like the BIPOC Birding Club of Wisconsin, whose values align with yours. For me, I don’t believe I would’ve had so much fun, or stuck with it, had I ventured out on my own. Being with a group is so much more than watching birds, it’s about the human connection as well.
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 flock of Rainbow Lorikeets sit in a tree. (Photo via Pixabay)
