Birdwatching (or birding) could add a special focus to walks in May. It can be added to a walking group, to mindfulness meditative walks, or as a special outing. May is a particularly good time of year to see migratory birds. Learn about some areas for birding in Ontario through the Ontario Field Ornithologists (www.ofo.ca), who publish site guides and articles about favourite birding hotspots.

Find out if you have field naturalists in your area; perhaps someone can come in to do a presentation or lead a walk. There are often field trips hosted by field naturalist clubs, at nature observatories and in provincial parks. With the support of an experienced birder, you could host a “bird-a-thon” and see how many different birds you can spot over the month, or longer. Some areas, such as Prince Edward County (http://www.pec.on.ca/other/birds.html) have birding festivals in May. For other outdoor festivals in Ontario, see http://www.ontariooutdoor.com/info.aspx?pname=events&language=en.

When you make the connection to some of this expertise, see if donors may have binoculars to share or lend. You may also want to add a bird feeder to an area of your building. Be sure to learn some tips from FLAP (www.flap.org), such as how to position birdfeeders to avoid having birds fly into reflective windows.

Sound walks

Yet another focus for walks is the soundscape. Birds add their distinctive calls; those who recognize them may be interested in providing a bird-call tour. Even indoors, different spaces can provide a varying soundscape. Sounds walks can be meditative: people become attuned to the activity around them, and to the particular sounds we make while moving.