Author, Artist, Speaker
Binoculars
to Binomials
A hybrid space for mindful learning about birds, data and creative possibility.
Binoculars to Binomials is for coders who are interested in cultivating an observational practice, and for birders who want to dive into the rich pool of data that comes out of their hobby. It's also for anyone who's interested in the overlap between environmental care, data and creativity.
Why birds & data?
#1
To get the whole picture
I've always considered data to be a system rather than a thing. To really understand data, you need to know how it gets made, how it is changed by the processes of computation, and how the choices we make in representing it affect the stories that can be told.
Birding gives us a way to embrace this entire system: to watch as our observations become data, to see how it mingles and mixes in databases and APIs, and to explore all of the practical and poetic ways we might tell our data's story
#2
To change your brain
Birding is about paying attention to detail and nuance. It is a practice of noticing, and noticing is something we can all learn to do more of.
Studies have shown that birding improves memory and recall, and being in proximity to birds has been found to improve mental health and well-being.
(Also, it'll get you outside!)
#3
To center environmental care
Bird data isn't just about birds. It's about places and ecosystems, people, and communities.
Watching birds can tell us a lot about the health of the environment around us, and birds themselves can offer common ground for difficult conversations.
#4
To be astounded
Arctic Terns fly 59,000 miles during migration. Male bee hummingbirds weigh less than two grams. Desertas petrels hitch rides on hurricanes. Chimney swifts can spend entire years in the air.
Birds are astounding. To spend time with them is to be astounded.
Online cohort course
In the Binoculars to Binomials 5-week cohort course, you'll join a group of curious learners to explore the opportunities that lie between birdwatching and creative coding.
Learn how to build a practice of noticing, understand the ways that observations become data, and explore creative pathways for telling bird-y stories with code.
Upcoming cohorts:
Are you a student, teacher, librarian or not-for profit worker?
Use the code OVENBIRD for 25% off registration
About the course
We'll explore...
-
How to access and use rich sources of birding data including the eBird API, XenoCanto, The Christmas Bird Count historical database, and more.
-
Ways to cultivate and enrich an observational practice (birding!), and how to apply the techniques from this practice to other parts of your life
-
Methods for creating dynamic data visualizations on the web (not just charts and graphs!), as well as more radical forms of data representation (sound, sculpture, performance, public engagement!)
-
Histories and practices of counting and tracking birds, from banding to satellite tracking and AI modeling
-
Methodologies for collecting our own bird-based data including observations of behavior and recording of nocturnal flight calls
Class structure
Each week's learning modules include a one hour video lesson (pre-recorded), one coding and one birding assignment, as well as code samples with video walkthroughs and a wealth of other resources.
Weekly group discussions and open help sessions offer opportunities for collaborative learning, and the course platform is open for use throughout the cohort period.
Participants will be expected to go birding (self-directed) at least two times per week throughout the course. Binoculars are required.If you have accessibility needs or concerns, please contact me directly.
Duration: 5 weeks
Cohort size: 18 people
Workload: 5-7 hours per week
Course Outline
Week 1: Fledge Week
Birdwatching is closely bound to the enumeration of birds and the keeping of lists. In this module we'll examine several bird counting projects (past and present) and will use discussions about feeder-watching to discuss what different methods of counting necessarily include and exclude. We'll also see and discuss a series of data visualizations and other artworks and interventions based on bird data.
Week 2: How Birds Become Data
On October 8th, 2015, a team in Ecuador identified 431 species of birds – the world record for number counted in a single day. Earlier that year in Myanmar, a scientist counted one Jerdon’s babbler, the first in nearly eight decades. In December of 2019, eBird announced that its database held over 737 million bird observations. This morning, in Brooklyn Bridge park, I counted 38 house sparrows, 4 black-and-white warblers and an ovenbird. In this module, we'll look at the myriad of ways birds become data. We'll look at a variety of publicly available datasets, and we'll examine the complications of turning the messy human act of observation into 'clean' data points.
Week 3: Tweets, Chirps & Chips
Birding is as much an auditory experience as it is a visual one. Indeed, some behaviours of birds can only be observed by listening. In this module we'll learn ways to describe bird calls, and we'll find out how to access huge databases of bird sounds. We'll take a deep-dive into Nocturnal Flight Calls - the sounds that birds make when migrating high in the air at night. We'll look at techniques for DIY 'nocmig' setups and see how we can record and analyze these unique calls from our very own rooftops / fire escapes / backyards.
Week 4: Satellites & Radar and Radio (oh my!)
Every day during the spring and fall migrations in North America, BirdCast provides real-time analysis maps showing intensities of actual nocturnal bird migration as detected by the US weather surveillance radar network between local sunset to sunrise. In addition, it provides advance forecasts for migration in regions across the country. These forecasts are the product of a machine learning system trained on 23 years of bird movements in the atmosphere as detected by the US NEXRAD weather surveillance radar network. BirdCast is just one example of how birds are being tracked and monitored. In this module we'll learn how radar and radio is used to locate birds in various contexts. We'll also look at sources for bird mobility data and learn techniques for visualizing position over time.
Week 5: Birding Backwards
Want to go birding at the museum? In this module we'll look at how historical records can provide glimpses of the biodiversity of the past, and how narratives of collection and exploration are often anchored in colonialism and exploitation. We'll find some historical datasets and learn how to visualize the data; we'll also look at possibilities for linking datasets together, past --> present!
Have questions? Get in touch.
In person workshops
A unique team-building experience combining creative coding with nature and mindfulness. Book with co-workers or with friends!
Birding and learning are better together. Binoculars to Binomials workshops are bespoke experiences, designed for groups of 6 to 20. Engaging guided bird walks are paired with tailored lessons to teach critical data concepts and to cultivate skills for noticing and observation.
Every workshop is unique and tailored to the interests, goals and capabilities of the group, as well as to the place and to the season (and the birds!)
One Day
A morning of birding followed by an afternoon exploring how to get creative with data we've collected with eBird.
OR
Two Days
Two mornings spent exploring different birding habitats, followed by afternoons exploring creative possibilities with data and code.
In New York
NYC is one of the world's best spots for birding. Central Park, Green-Wood Cemetery, Jamaica Bay... there's so much to explore.
OR
In Your City
I come to you! We'll join a local guide to find the best birding spots and help you to see your city in brand new way.
Five Days
A full week of mornings spent with professional guides exploring some of the world's most diverse ecosystems. Afternoons are full of exploration, conversation, learning and code-based fun.
In Ecuador
Ecuador is one of the world's most remarkable birding destinations. With 1,736 species and a variety of unique habitats, the country is the perfect place for a bird + data adventure!
COMING SOON
Want to book a bespoke workshop for your team or group?
About the instructor
Jer Thorp is an artist, a writer, and a teacher. He was the first data artist in residence at The New York Times, he is a National Geographic Explorer, and he served as the innovator in residence at the Library of Congress in 2017 and 2018. He lives under the Manhattan Bridge with his family and his awesome dog, Sandwich.
Since 2010 he has been an adjunct professor at NYU's ITP program, where he has taught a wide range of classes about data, archives, and public engagement. Previous to ITP he taught at Langara College and the University of British Columbia.
Jer's first book, Living in Data, was published by MCDxFSG in 2020. His next book, We Were Out Counting Birds, is out in 2025.