January 10, 2026: Movie Night #1

"Thank you to everyone who showed up to support Birds with Seth for my very first movie night! This show was a great success, and together we raised $147 to protect critical bird habitat!

A large group of local birders and bird-curious folks met at Factory Coffee around 6:00pm on Saturday, January 10 to watch a screening of '‘Listers: A Glimpse Into Extreme Birdwatching’. This birding documentary was released about four months ago, and has since taken the birding world by storm! After seeing it for the first time, I knew I had to share it.

The film follows two young men, completely new to birding, who decide to embark on a “big year”. A big year is a competitive form of birdwatching where one attempts to see as many species of birds as possible within one calendar year, within a specific area. This film follows Owen and Quentin Reiser throughout the lower 48 in pursuit of becoming #1 in 2024.

The film is hilarious, with plenty of comedic relief, and is also informative, educational, and provides a glimpse into the competitive side of birdwatching. There’s plenty of commentary from various naturalists and enthusiasts alike, and the footage of the birds is visually stunning; it’s one of my favorite parts!

We laughed, we mingled in community, and we snacked on popcorn and drinks from Factory Coffee. It felt so great to host an event like this; I haven’t done anything quite like this before.

I truly enjoyed sharing my passion of birding in this way, and at the same time we were able to raise money to actively support birds and their habitat in the process! Way to go Kalamazoo!

The money raised will be donated to the American Bird Conservancy, who’s mission is to “deliver conservation results for birds and their habitats throughout the Western Hemisphere.”

Together with their partners, they “have developed proven strategies to address some of the gravest threats facing birds while protecting 1.1 million acres of habitat across a network of more than 100 reserves in 15 countries, benefiting 3,000 bird species — 30 percent of the world’s total.”

Stay tuned for Movie Night #2!