Stories in Flight
Follow the Birds is a growing global movement connecting bird lovers, artists, scientists, and conservationists through the wonder of migration — and the people who follow it.
Join us as we trace the paths of birds and the connections they awaken in us all.
Receive Field Notes, behind-the-scenes stories, and first invitations to upcoming gatherings.
Collaborate. Participate. Belong.
Throughout the year, we gather global voices — from scientists to artists to storytellers — celebrating migration and the human spirit it inspires.
Whether you’re a partner, presenter, or participant, Follow the Birds offers a place to connect your story with the shared rhythm of migration.
Our inaugural Bird Migration Gathering brought together bird lovers and experts from 10 countries across five continents — a celebration of story, science, and shared connection.
We welcome aligned partners who share our passion for birds, culture, and connection. Whether you bring expertise, visibility, or shared values, your involvement helps expand the circle of care for the natural world.
Collaboration opportunities include:
Featured speaking & panel sessions
Sponsorships and brand alignment
Cross-promotion and affiliate partnerships
Artistic collaborations and storytelling features
If your work, organization, or voice aligns with our mission, we’d love to hear from you.
We’re currently connecting with potential speakers, partners, and sponsors for our next global event.
Delight your audience
Collaborate through shared stories, co-branded experiences, or affiliate partnerships.
Spread your message
Bring your voice, research, or artistry to an inspired global audience.
Engage birders globally
Align your brand with a global celebration of curiosity, connection, and conservation.
Bird Migration Connects Us Across the Planet
Birds trace invisible lines across the sky — and when we follow them, we discover each other.
Sharing migration stories with bird lovers from every corner of the globe.
Connecting a worldwide community.
This gathering is where your story joins the global migration.
At the Twice-a-Year Bird Migration Gatherings, you’ll:
Connect Globally
Meet bird lovers from around the world through live kickoffs, interactive sessions, and evening fun.
Be Inspired
Hear stories that expand how you see and experience birds — and yourself.
Know Belonging
Celebrate birds and the people who follow them in a global circle of connection.
Hi, I'm Kelly: Community Curator and Fellow Birder.
I’m the founder of Follow the Birds, a global movement devoted to connecting birders through story, migration, and meaning.
I’ve guided groups to Africa five times and spent three months living in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. But it’s only recently that I began seeing these places through the eyes of a birder. Now, I’m eager to revisit them—not just by memory, but by following the flight paths of birds that bridge these worlds.
My work blends storytelling, strategy, and community design — creating spaces where collaboration feels natural and inspired.
The Bird Migration Gathering was born from this truth:
The birds are telling a global story. And so are we.
Together, we’ll create a space where voices and flyways cross.
Turn Birding Into a Shared Global Experience
Here, you’ll join stories of migration from scientists, artists, storytellers, and bird lovers worldwide.
What you'll experience at the Bird Migration Gathering:
Stories that inspire — culture, place, and meaning in every flight path.
Global voices sharing migration journeys across continents.
Guidance from artists + scientists to expand how you see birds (and yourself).
A movement of belonging — birding as shared joy, not just a solo pursuit.
This Is Where Birding Becomes Community
Your joy in birding becomes a shared celebration — every story expanding your world, every voice reminding you that you belong.
Meet the guides who will inspire and connect you with a worldwide circle of bird lovers.
“Scott Weidensaul ranks among an elite group of writer-naturalists.”
Los Angeles Times
Scott Weidensaul
New Hampshire, USA
Following Migration Across Hemispheres
Craig Foster
Cape Town, South Africa
Intimacy With the Wild
Dan Puplett
Scotland, UK
Reading Nature’s Hidden Stories
Julie Zickefoose
Ohio, USA
Personal Habitats, Avian Individuals
VIP Live Q&A on Thursday, 10/23 @ 2 pm MDT
Jon Young
California, USA
Bird Language and Ancient Wisdom
VIP Live Q&A on Friday, 10/24 @ 10 am MDT
George Bumann
Montana, USA
Sculpting Stories of the Wild
Lynn Wickersham
Colorado, USA
Mindful Science in the Field
VIP Live Q&A on Friday, 10/24 @ 2 pm MDT
John Muir Laws
California, USA
Drawing Birds for Nature Journaling
Richard Fuller
Queensland, Australia
Migration Without Borders
Elizabeth Mills
England, UK
Connecting Seas and Skies
Want more? Go VIP: Extended Access with keynote Q&As + Game Night Sessions live October 23-25.
Explore the Daily Lineup – See Where Your Journey Can Lead
Your place in the Gathering awaits
Join live kickoffs, intimate gatherings, and presentations you can revisit anytime.
Imagine hearing a migration story from halfway across the world — and realizing it echoes your own.
This is how you join the Gathering:
Claim your spot today
Connect early — Get instant access to The Gathering Place community forum.
Belong everywhere — Join live sessions and on-demand presentations during the 3-day event, October 23-25.
“Jon Young is one of the heroes of the new nature movement.”
Richard Louv, author of The Nature Principle
Left to right: Kelly Miller (Host), Jon Young (Bird Language & Ancient Wisdom), and
Craig Foster (Intimacy With the Wild)
Choose Your Ticket
Event Access – $50
7 days of connection and discovery — access to each session (through November 1, 2025)
Daily live gatherings — kickoffs and interactive sessions
Flexible pace — stream new talks each day when it fits your schedule
VIP Extended Access – $100
365 days of inspiration — revisit every presentation all year long (through Oct 26, 2026)
Exclusive live Q&As — connect directly with select keynote speakers
Community fun — Thursday & Friday Game Night Sessions included
Return anytime — rekindle your sense of wonder and belonging whenever you need it
Don’t Bird Alone. Join the Flock.
Birds don’t see borders. Why should we?
From mountains to mangroves, deserts to deltas — their migrations remind us of our shared humanity.
Imagine swapping bird stories with someone from halfway across the world — and realizing you’re part of something bigger. Join bird lovers across continents in one shared Gathering.
Stories in Flight.
Curious About Joining the Next Gathering?
Be the first to know when registration opens for our next global event.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will sessions be recorded?
Yes. All sessions are recorded. Event Access Ticket holders can watch replays for 7 days after the Gathering, and VIP Extended Access holders get 365 days of on-demand replay access.
What if I’m working during the Bird Migration Gathering (Oct 23–25)?
You can absolutely still join us.
All of our speaker sessions and live kickoffs are recorded and available for replay, so you can watch them at any time that fits your schedule.
Each day includes live sessions at 9 a.m. and noon MDT, plus Q&As with keynote guests mid-morning and mid-afternoon (Thu & Fri).
VIPs also get access to evening Game Nights — those are live-only, but everything else is recorded for you to enjoy later.
So even if you’re working, you can still experience the full migration — just on your own time.
Every live session is recorded and available for replay.
Can’t make it at 9 a.m. or noon MDT? No problem.
You’ll have a full week to stream the talks on your own schedule — after work, on the weekend, or whenever you need a dose of inspiration.
🌟 Want a full year of access?
Choose the VIP Extended Access Ticket to revisit all sessions and keynote Q&As anytime for 365 days — like your own personal bird-inspiration library.
🕊️ What’s live (and when):
9 a.m. & Noon MDT — Daily live sessions
Mid-morning & mid-afternoon — Keynote Q&As (Thu & Fri)
Evening — VIP Game Nights (live only, not recorded)
So even if you can’t be there live, you’ll still experience the full migration — all the talks, all the insights, all the magic.
Is the Gathering online?
Yes. The Bird Migration Gathering is 100% online. You’ll join through our private event portal from anywhere in the world.
What’s the difference between Event Access and VIP Extended Access?
Event Access Ticket: Access to all sessions + replays for 7 days.
VIP Extended Access Ticket: 365 days of replay access, plus exclusive Live Q&As with speakers and Game Nights.
What devices can I use?
Any device with internet access! You can watch from your computer, tablet, or phone, and all sessions stream inside the event portal.
Can I ask the speakers questions?
No. However, VIP Extended Access holders get exclusive Live Q&A opportunities with Jon Young (Thursday) and George Bumann (Friday).
Still curious? [See the full FAQ here]
PO Box 3152
Durango, Colorado, 81303
United States
Contact Us
kelly@followthebirds.com
+1 (602) 291-7319
Mountain Daylight Time (UTC−06:00)
Follow the Birds is based in the southernmost part of the Rocky Mountains in Durango, Colorado, USA. My favorite migrating bird is the Black Swift, which travels from sheer cliffs in Colorado to the Amazon Rainforest in Brazil. What's yours? ~ Founder, Kelly Miller
