Welcoming Maggie Smith as BOP Coordinator!

Maggie Smith, a smiling woman with long brown hair, takes a selfie outdoors at sunset. She is wearing a green plaid overshirt over a rose colored top and several layered necklaces. Behind her, soft golden light illuminates trees, shrubs, and a quiet residential street. She is on a covered porch or balcony, and the warm evening light creates a welcoming and relaxed atmosphere.

Hello bird world! My name is Maggie Smith, Birdability Outreach Program Coordinator. Birdability received a grant from the Craig H. Neilsen Foundation to collaborate with rehabilitation hospitals around the country to improve the quality of life of folks living with spinal cord injuries by bringing therapeutic, accessible birding opportunities into settings where people already are, supported by adaptive tools, trained facilitators, and strong community partnerships. It has been such a joy doing this work! I wanted to take a moment to introduce myself and share my birding journey.

A wide outdoor photo shows two birders viewed from behind along a quiet rural road bordered by grassy fields and large trees. On the left, one birder sits in a rugged tracked power wheelchair and holds a camera with a large telephoto lens up to their eye. A bright green backpack hangs from the back of the chair. On the right, author Maggie Smith sits in a manual wheelchair and raises binoculars to look toward the sky. She is wearing a blue Birdability T shirt with the slogan “Birding is for every body!” and the Birdability logo on the back. The road stretches ahead beneath an overcast sky.

I have always loved birds, specifically hawks. When I was in high school, my grandfather passed away when I was at a track meet. While I was on the podium, a hawk was soaring above me, and my mom said it was my grandpa. I will admit, at the time, I thought it was weird. Fast forward, post-college, I was struggling at a job, but I started to notice a hawk at the same spot every day on my way to work. It became my symbol that things were going to be okay. It became that symbol so much so that on my wedding day, we heard a Red-Shouldered Hawk calling after our officiant signed our certificate! We even heard it again the day we dropped off the paperwork at the courthouse!!

In 2019, I was working at Parks and Recreation alongside a Naturalist who started to pique my interest in birds. In 2021, I had the opportunity to go to my first official birding event with Shepherd Center in Atlanta, GA. At that event, I learned about the Merlin app…and I was HOOKED! I didn’t know there were so many birds, specifically in my own backyard. Because of that first outing and learning about Merlin, I have discovered so much about the world around me.

Maggie sits in a manual wheelchair and uses a spotting scope mounted on a tripod while birding in an open field. She is dressed warmly in a black hat, dark jacket, and gloves. A pair of binoculars hangs from her neck as she leans forward to look through the scope. The landscape is made up of dry grasses, a gravel path, and a distant tree line beneath a clear winter sky. 

Here is a list of why I love birds/birding:

1. Birds are the most accessible creatures. No matter where you go, you will see or hear birds. 

2. You can see different birds depending on the season or if you travel to a different region/habitat. 

3. Birds have made me pay attention more. Whether that is to nature/environment or if I’m working. I get less distracted sitting outside trying to get work done than I do at my desk. 

4. Birds have made me appreciate nature more. 

5. Birds have given me connection. I have met so many wonderful people who are expert birders, just getting started, and everywhere in between. I have even introduced my friends to birds. 

I’m so grateful for this opportunity to work with Birdability and to bring birding to more people, specifically those with spinal cord injuries, around the country. Through my role at Birdability and birds, I hope to bring joy and connection to others.