Birdwatching: Jason Ward
Whether trapped in a bad situation or just terrible traffic, watching birds in flight has always helped naturalist Jason Ward unwind.
As a child growing up in the Bronx, Jason Ward was an astute observer. He’d watch people moving through the streets with curiosity, wanting to know their stories, but also did so out of necessity. “My father always taught me to be hyperaware of your surroundings. Always know what’s going on a block ahead of you and a block behind you,” he tells me. We are standing at the edge of Lake Clara Meer in Atlanta’s Piedmont Park, where Ward, the 33-year-old host of the YouTube series Birds of North America,1 and former apprentice at the National Audubon Society, was first formally introduced to birding. In 2013, Ward, who worked at a mortgage company, got a promotion that left him with a little extra free time and money. The lifelong animal enthusiast Googled organizations in Atlanta ...
