Monica Bryand, an Audubon Minnesota outreach team member, began birding 12 years ago and picked up photography along the way.

A year ago, she set  a goal of photographing all 166 of Minnesota’s climate-threatened birds, and she is currently at 110. 

Monica wasn’t always passionate about birds and climate though. 

“The gloom and doom about climate change used to overwhelm me,” she says. “Then, I realized I needed to focus on how I can feel good about my personal choices.”

She believes in encouraging individuals to have a positive attitude about environmental responsibility. Monica has talked to hundreds of people in the Twin Cities about National Audubon Society’s Birds and Climate Change Report, why birds matter, and how people can help. 

She leads by example and talks about her own actions like biking wherever she can, replacing incandescent lightbulbs, and putting
solar panels on her house. She focuses on speaking to diverse audiences and helps urban residents appreciate the natural beauty in their own backyard or in a nearby park. That appreciation can lead to caring more about nature and, in turn, it can inspire personal action to help reduce the impacts of climate change. 

The Wilder Foundation chose to highlight Monica’s photography of climate-threatened birds at their center on Lexington and University in St. Paul. Her work was at the center from April 1 through June 30, 2016.

Read more about Monica on Audubon.org: How Birding Can Lead to Climate Action by Liz Bergstrom.