As a native Portlander, Stephanie grew up surrounded by the Pacific Northwest forests, mountains, and coastline. An avid hiker since childhood, she was inspired to learn about birds one day while walking through a local wetland. From there, birding became a passion that she devotes every weekend and most evenings to. She loves birding both alone and with others, and finds she learns as much from a beginner as from an expert birder. Stephanie’s favorite thing about watching birds is that it has taught her patience — you can’t predict what you will see, but it is always worth the wait!

Growing up in Georgia, Virginia had a passionate love of nature instilled in her by her mother. Adventures in the woods and swamps of her home sparked a curiosity about the Earth and all of her inhabitants, starting a lifelong learning journey. When she moved to Oregon her fascination with the outdoors led her to join a local group of birders for walks once a week. She was amazed by how welcoming the birding community was and wanted to do whatever it took to make that community thrive. For Virginia, birding has been a gateway to study, wonder, excitement, a way to mark the seasons and so much more. She looks forward to sharing her experiences and knowledge with anyone she finds along the path, believing that there is a magic that happens only when you are walking and learning. Virginia has a saying, "You learn to bird by birding with birders!" Let's test that theory!