Nocs Naturalist
Will Laurie
Introduce yourself and what you’re up to these days?
I’m Will (they/he), and I’m up to a lot of birding mostly! Leading field trips, serving on the local Audubon chapter’s board of directors, helping out with some volunteer initiatives like Eagle Watch and Colony Watch, and taking friends out to take a gander at all the natural beauty of Florida while we still can appreciate it. I also like to take pictures of my friends in the many various local bands they’re in and have taken up going to a bouldering gym for when the Florida heat feels too oppressive for a bike ride and a tree climb.
What first sparked your love for birds, and how did that evolve into bird photography?
Believe it or not, alligators. Growing up in Florida, they are always around. I was scared of them as a kid but lost that fear kayaking with my grandmother and cousin every summer through exposure of them just being around while we paddled. I actually purchased the camera to take better pictures of alligators specifically. I first took the camera out on a chilly February morning, and they were all hiding away somewhere. However, I was enthralled by all the birds that were still out when the alligators weren’t. I hardly recognized any and started taking pictures to look at later with a field guide I picked up on the way home. Ever since then, photography has taken a back seat to birding, but I very much still consider myself a photographer as well.
If you could photograph any bird species in the world, what would it be and why?
It might be a strange answer coming from someone that lives on the Gulf Coast of Florida but my answer is the Osprey. Hear me out. They are found across the globe on all continents aside from Antarctica, and I’d like to get a photograph of one in each! So far I’ve got just North and South America! They’ve always been a grounding bird for me. I know that wherever I go on Earth (besides Antarctica lol) I can find my beloved Osprey, just in the form of various subspecies. They’re so cool. They’re sooooooooo cool. They’re my favorite bird, I’ve got a sick tattoo of one diving.
What bird do you most identify with, if you had to capture yourself in a bird?
Really hard question y’all. It’s hard to look both at the personalities of the thousands of species of birds and my own personality to try and find a bridge in between. Maybe the Florida Scrub-Jay? Sure, let’s go with that. Community oriented, talks a lot, curious, spends a lot of time in scrub habitats, enjoys hats, lives in Florida. Hell it actually really checks out. Good question. Got my brain moving.
Outdoor spaces haven’t always been the most inclusive—how has being queer shaped your experience in the birding and nature communities?
While most people I meet in these communities are some of the best folk around, these groups still aren’t as inclusive as they
could, and should be, I’ll tell you that. While I may identify as queer, I also can’t deny that I’m surely still perceived as
a cis-presenting man by many of the people I meet in the field, and there is an inherent privilege in being perceived in that
way, whether it’s who I really am or not. Not everyone is friendly toward strangers, and there is plenty of intersectionality
in the experiences of hate. None of us are free until we’re all free.
Where I observe the most issues come in the form of “subtle” racism, queerphobia, misogyny, etc. displayed by strangers while
birding with other friends in the community. When birding with black friends, or queer-presenting friends, it’s not the best
feeling when someone approaches the group and ignores my friends to only ask ME what we’re looking at, or taking pictures of.
In one particular scenario with a close friend of mine, who is black, he is a FAR more experienced and knowledgeable birder
than I am, yet is still completely ignored by a lot of people that will approach us when we are taking pictures of a really
neat bird, that he likely knows much more about than I do.
It’s not rampant to the point of being an everytime thing, but it happens enough to notice the trend and realize that our
outdoors community, let alone society, still has a lot of issues to work on. Not to mention the feelings of complete safety I
feel exploring rural areas versus how my friends from more marginalized communities feel in these same spaces. Being a queer
in the outdoors world has taught me the importance of sticking together and looking out for one another.
What advice would you give to other LGBTQ+ folks who may feel hesitant about exploring the birding world?
Community is everything in the birding world. Not to sound cheesy, but find your flock. There are SO many queer birders these days it’s genuinely heartwarming. There are also a lot of allies in the community as well. If you’re the only birder in your queerdom so to speak, try and be that catalyst! Offer to take your friends out. Sometimes it starts as a hike and turns into a hobby. I like to gather with friends that are naturalists in other fields. One of my closest friends is super into insects and other “bugs” (vague, all-encompassing term), another close friend that works with a lot of native plants - go out and have a blast identifying everything from birds to bugs to plants to fungi. I need a queer friend into geology and then I think we could make some sort of queer Captain Planet.
We’re stoked that Nocs are in your toolkit. In what situations do you find yourself grabbing your Nocs? How are they helping your craft?
On the go, on the go, on the go. I keep a Zoom Tube in my glove compartment, in my bike’s saddle bag, on my window sill, my office desk, wherever I can. For the unfortunate times I don’t have my camera with me, I can still capture some sort of interesting behavior or cool bug with my Zoom Tubes. You never know when a lifer might pull up to the function! I’ve recently been dabbling more in overall naturalism moreso than just birding, so the new microscope attachment from y’all has been super clutch for taking a VERY close look at some bugs and buds if you feel me.
A book, quote, story, podcast, resource that shaped your life?
The Animal Dialogues by Craig Childs changed my life, seriously. It’s what made me buy the camera to take pictures of the alligators. He has this beautifully poetic way of retelling his experiences with the various animals of North America that really put me in his own memory. I was riding a segway through his hippocampus, like I was on some sort of tour of his memories. I loved every page.
Anything on your calendar that you’re looking forward to? We’d love to stay in touch! Where can we find you these upcoming months?
I’m looking forward to Spring migration and Summer birding! I’m looking forward to kayaking with the alligators! I’m looking forward to all the upcoming shows of my friends’ bands! You can find me on Instagram (@WillsboroughRiver) and also in the depths of wild Florida :-)
