Champion birder, 14, developing app to get youth in a flutter about birdwatching, conservation
Coquitlam's Adam Dhalla was crowned Young Birder of the Year by the American Birding Association
Coquitlam teen Adam Dhalla knows a lot about birds and where to birdwatch in North America and is using that knowledge to create an app he hopes will get other young people excited about the hobby — and the environment.
Dhalla, 14, won the American Birding Association's 2018 Young Birder of the Year Award, and has partnered with the U.S. National Wildlife Federation to develop Find the Birds: U.S. and Canada, a mobile game where players explore habitats and spot birds.
Players will be able to pick from top birding hotspots in Canada and the U.S., and the game is likely to feature some Lower Mainland locations such as Boundary Bay and Stanley Park, Dhalla told The Early Edition host Stephen Quinn.
Dhalla spoke to Quinn from Kyoto, Japan where he is currently checking out the regions' birds and said travelling and exploring new environments always reminds him "how fragile the whole ecosystem is".
Dhalla said he thinks a mobile game is the smart way to reach his peers, and added that if youth discover the excitement of birdwatching, they will learn about habitats and conservation.
"For birdwatching, and more importantly conservation, we need to get the younger people involved," he said.
"Games like Find the Birds can help inspire and educate the younger people who will control the world tomorrow."
Dhalla is currently fundraising to launch the app as soon as possible.