Birdgirl: Looking to the Skies in Search of a Better Future

Ornithologist, environmentalist, and diversity activist Craig offers a memoir that traces her childhood and her pursuit of rare birds, known as “twitching” in British parlance. Born to a British father and a Bangladeshi Muslim mother, Craig was initiated by her family into birding from an early age; together they traveled internationally, with her first big birding trip at the age of six. Craig’s birding forays took her to wild areas around the world, where the devastating effects of development and climate change wreaked havoc on most animal species, including birds. Craig’s journey into climate activism is a natural outcome of all that she has seen and done. In addition to detailing her development as an environmentalist and birder, Craig candidly discusses her mother’s diagnosis of bipolar disorder, which impacted their trips but also helped them grow as a family. Craig narrates her own work, transmitting her enthusiasm and knowledge in her engaging British-Bangladeshi accent.