Our Work
Collectively, Feminist Bird Club chapters have raised and donated more than $200,000 to organizations and projects that we support through yearly patch sales, virtual and in-person events, Birdathons, merchandise, partnerships and more. Read on to learn more about our past patch artists and donations.
Thank you for your support!
2024’s patch bird is an adorable female wood duck illustrated by Rosemary Mosco. Rosemary Mosco is a science writer and cartoonist who makes the nature comic Bird and Moon and coined the term "weird duck time". Her range covers wide swaths of the US northeast, where she loves observing birds, herps, plants, butterflies, and all sorts of other flora and fauna. Check out her work at: rosemarymosco.com
All proceeds for this year’s patch sale will be going to Anera, an organization which has been helping those who need immediate aid in the West Bank, Gaza, Jordan and Lebanon since the 1960’s. In addition to emergency relief, they also help establish programs that aim to improve education, economic systems and healthcare.
2024 patch sales have raised over $8600 for Anera - learn more about their mission and donate directly here.
Our 2023 Patch bird was the Common Nighthawk! With 2023’s patch bird lovingly nicknamed “goth patch”, we fulfilled our deep desire to showcase a nocturnal species (without flash photography or spotlights, of course).
The nighthawk was illustrated by Frances Ngo (she/her) (@tiny_zoologist). Ngo is a queer artist, zoologist, and multiracial Mexican-Chinese poet who draws artistic inspiration from her experience in wildlife conservation, from banding birds and preparing museum specimens, to organizing with communities devoted to equitable conservation.
50% of patch sales were donated to Wildflower Alliance (@wildfloweralliance), a grassroots peer-support, advocacy and training organization with a focus on harm reduction and human rights, which seeks to increase collective power for marginalized people.
We are thrilled to be supporting and amplifying Wildflower Alliance in their mission to both advocate for broad systemic transformation, and create pathways for individual healing. We have been inspired by their support for people who have been impacted by psychiatric diagnoses, trauma, homelessness, incarceration, problems with substance use, and other life-interrupting challenges.
The other 50% of patch sales went toward supporting our expanding chapter network and normalizing paying LGBTQ+, BIPOC, and disabled event leaders for their time and expertise.
2023 patch sales raised $5300 for Wildflower Alliance- learn more about their mission and donate directly here.
The female Belted Kingfisher illustration for the 2022 patch was created for us by Nayl Gonzalez, who illustrated the book Something Wonderful and the official line drawing for newly discovered Chorizanthe aphanantha which was published and premiered in Madroño Vol. 65 No.4.
2020 patch sales raised $10,000 to Honor the Earth's Land Back Initiative. Honor the Earth is a Native-run organization that aims to create awareness for and support Native environmental issues as well as provide financial and political resources for the survival of sustainable Native communities.
The kingfisher and her call are a symbol of healthy rivers and waters. We wanted to collectively recognize the female Belted Kingfisher is flashier than her male counterparts (also they are just such cool birds!)
Our 2021 patch featured a female Yellow Warbler drawn by Certified Science Illustrator Liz Wahid. 2021 patch sales allowed us to donate just over $10,000 to The Native Wellness Institute. Their mission is to promote wellness and healing within Native communities, using training and techniques rooted in Native culture. We believe that providing care to yourself and your community is more important now than ever, and we are thrilled to support this organization. We were also able to donate $2,950 to National Network of Abortion Funds in 2021, and $6,700 in 2022 then thanks to a generous match from Noah Clothing.
Yellow Warblers tend to bring a little sunshine and joy into your day when out birding. We highlighted this species to celebrate bringing joy into this year.
2020 patches were graced with a Pileated Woodpecker, illustrated by Bird Collective's Angie Co. This bird's range extends to nearly every current chapter of the Feminist Bird Club. Just over $8,000 in proceeds from the patch were split and donated to T.G.I. Justice Project and Make the Road NY.
The Transgender Gender-Variant & Intersex Justice Project's (TGIJP) mission is to challenge and end the human rights abuses committed against transgender, gender variant/genderqueer and intersex (TGI) people in California prisons and beyond.
Make the Road NY builds the power of Latinx and working class communities of color to achieve dignity and justice through organizing, policy innovation, transformative education and the provision of survival services.
Thank you to Annie Novak for the Snowy Owl illustration, which is meant to serve as a reminder to follow 1(b) and 1(c) of the ABA Code of Birding Ethics if these winter migrants are viewable in your area.
2019 patches and stickers raised more than $6,400 and was split between Pueblo sin Fronteras, a group of volunteers who has been working for the past 15 years to safely assist migrants and refugees in crossing the Mexico/U.S. border and the Native Youth Sexual Health Network (NYSHN), an organization by and for Indigenous youth that works across issues of sexual and reproductive health, rights, and justice throughout the United States and Canada.
Terri Nelson illustrated our 2018 bird - the Spotted Sandpiper. These birds have been observed engaging in polyandry, making them a fun choice for the FBC patch bird. Thanks to everyone who purchased a 2018 patch, which allowed us to donate upwards of $4,500 to Black Lives Matter.
The Black Skimmer was chosen to showcase a unique shorebird that nests on New York City beaches during the summer months, since at the time it was created Feminist Bird Club was still only in NYC. Special thanks to Brooklyn artist and NYC chapter leader Jen Kepler for the illustration!
2017 patch sales raised $2,000 total. $1,000 was donated to New York Abortion Access Fund and $1,000 to the Women's Initiative.
The Painted Bunting on the 2016 patch was embroidered by referencing photographs and field guides. Highlighting this species was a nod to the male Painted bunting observed by many in Prospect Park, Brooklyn during the winter of 2015/2016. This patch raised $300 dollars in donations for Planned Parenthood NYC.