Finding Birds, Finding Belonging

Carolina Raptor Center's annual Harriet Tubman Legacy Speaker Series celebrates diverse individuals in the field of conservation.

In Finding Birds, Finding Belonging, Lauren Pharr shares her journey from an early love of wildlife to a career in conservation, science communication, and nonprofit leadership. Through personal stories and practical insight, she explores how birding can be a powerful gateway to connection — with nature, with community, and with a deeper sense of belonging outdoors. Lauren also highlights how organizations and local spaces can help make birding more welcoming and accessible for everyone.

Advance Tickets Required

About the Speaker:

Dr. Lauren D. Pharr is an avian behavioral ecologist whose research focuses on bird behavior and its applications to conservation. She earned her B.S. in Environmental Biology from Wingate University and her M.S. and Ph.D. in Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology from North Carolina State University. In addition to her research, Lauren is an active and award-winning science communicator. She serves as a freelance writer for The Nature Conservancy’s Cool Green Science blog, and her work has appeared in outlets including National Geographic, WIRED, and PBS SciNC. She has also served on the Editorial Advisory Board for The Wildlife Society and as a contributing editor for North Carolina Sea Grant. Lauren is the co-founder of Field Inclusive, a nonprofit dedicated to amplifying and supporting marginalized and historically excluded individuals in the outdoors and making science accessible to all. Her research and advocacy have earned her numerous accolades, including the North Carolina Wildlife Federation’s 2023 Governor's Conservation Achievement Award for Young Conservationist of the Year, one of the highest honors in the state’s wildlife field.