Op-Ed Essay: Shrubbier Parks Can Help Migratory Birds

I have a new byline! Shrubbier Parks Can Help Migratory Birds is an opinion piece about the role adding native shrubs and small trees to public parks can play in supporting migratory birds. My op-ed is published in the May 2025 issue of The Village View.

Earlier this year I completed the OpEd Project’s Write to Change the World workshop. I began drafting my published essay during the two-day workshop. I was fortunate enough to work with an OpEd mentor to revise and refine my position. I am proud of the second to last paragraph where I describe the emotional experience of noticing birds. A special shout-out to Michael Parks for encouraging me to use more humanistic language of the benefits of birds.

Getting an op-ed published is not easy task. I did not give up even when I thought I couldn’t read another “no”. The issue I wrote about is one of my soapboxes so it felt really important to get it published outside of my blog. I’d love to hear what you think.