ROBERT EUGENE CARTER (HE/HIM/THEY/THEM)
Maricopa Bird Alliance board member and field trips chair, dietitian and diabetes education specialist
Phoenix, Arizona
Paying attention to birds — and doing so in whatever way is accessible to people — supports a person’s health. Moving around in nature tends to correlate with lower levels of stress. You’re not only moving around, but you’re listening; you’re noticing signs of birds, you’re enhancing your cognitive flexibility. When you notice birds, you might also notice the kind of developments that could pollute the area around you, and you might advocate against those things. And when enough people advocate against those things and stop them from happening, that improves not only the health of the birder, but the health of their community. People who live in healthier communities have stronger, more robust social networks, which are also associated with better health. Just noticing birds improves your health — and your community.
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This article appeared in the April 2026 print edition of the magazine with the headline “#IAMTHEWEST.”
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