Christian Cooper (left) discusses birding, nature, and activism with retired Yale Professor Robert Lamothe during an evening conversation April 4, 2024. Photo by Mark Conrad.
During a visit to Yale co-hosted by the Yale School of the Environment, Cooper talked about the Central Park incident that made him famous and how he is using his platform to advance racial justice.
It was on a long road trip with his parents that Christian Cooper, a science writer and editor, first developed his love of birding, but he never could have imagined then that his hobby would make him a household name. In May 2020, he was in an area of Central Park known for its local bird population called the Ramble when a tense encounter with a white woman went viral. The woman called the police on him after he asked her to leash her dog.
"You almost never get a moment when the whole world wants to know what you have to say, and I thought, 'use it,' Cooper said.
During a visit to Yale University, which included a bird watching outing in Milford, lunch with students at the Yale School of Environment, and an evening conversation, Cooper spoke at length about what he refers to as ‘the incident.’ The events were co-hosted by YSE, the Arts Council of Greater New Haven, the City of New Haven Department of Arts, Culture and Tourism, The Connecticut Audubon Society, and the Franke Program in Science and the Humanities.
After the encounter in Central Park, Cooper went on to film the “Extraordinary Birder” series for National Geographic Wild and to write a memoir, “Better Living Through Birding—Notes from a Black Man in the Natural World.” The incident helped to inspire #BlackBirdersWeek, which is aimed at increasing the visibility of Black birders and nature enthusiasts and calling attention to the challenges they face while enjoying the outdoors.
You've got to be engaged with intention, with the natural world, if you're going to see the birds, and you want to see the birds.
During an evening conversation at Sheffield-Sterling-Strathcona Hall with Robert Lamothe '77, who taught Creole at Yale, Cooper talked about the power of birding and activism.
"Especially lately, I embrace the idea of being a Black birder," said Cooper. "I think it's really important that people think that, but I also love the fact that when I do my TV show (Extraordinary Birder), I'm doing it as a birder who happens to be Black — and that 'happens to be Black,' is important for people tuning in, especially the Black people tuning in who maybe haven't thought about going birding."
Throughout the visit, Cooper advocated for the healing power of birding and being in nature.
"Birding is so curative; whatever your problems are, whatever is preying on your mind, you get to set aside for a little while if you're birding. You've got to be engaged with intention, with the natural world, if you're going to see the birds, and you want to see the birds,” he said.