Birding for Wellbeing at Lake Lynn Park

Mindful birding at Lake Lynn Park 2026.04.18 | a Birding for Wellbeing event
Saturday, April 18, 2026, 8:30 – 11:00 a.m.

• Enjoy food and fellowship 8:30 – 9:00 a.m.
• Birding 9 – 11:00 a.m.
• All skill levels encouraged to come; borrow binoculars from us or bring your own.

Sponsors: Wake Audubon, the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Wake County.

Our Birding for Wellbeing outings center on mindful practices, with a slow pace to observe birds, relax in nature, and enjoy social connection in service to our physical and mental health. With April being Stress Awareness Month, it’s a perfect time to do so.

Your hosts

• Our guide will be NAMI Wake County Executive Director Mark Simon. An avid birder, Mark is grateful for how birding has served his own mental health and passionate about sharing this source of well-being with others.
• Wake Audubon board director and Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging event lead Rick LaRose (he/him) serves to bring accessible and welcoming ways for everyone to enjoy birds and take part in nature, wherever they are in their life journeys.
• Licensed therapist and yoga teacher Alexis Schulman, LCMHC, began birding as a way to deepen her own mindfulness in nature and support her personal wellbeing. Through her work in mental health and mindfulness-based practices, Alexis has become interested in how slowing down our attention outdoors can support both observation and a calm mind. She developed the mindful birding framework for this series in collaboration with Wake Audubon and NAMI Wake County and will help guide these practices during the outings.

Today's practice: Listen before Looking

• In a world full of distractions, our attention is often pulled in many directions at once. This outing invites participants to let sound lead attention, using birdsong and environmental sounds as a way to slow down and notice more.
• Prompted by Alexis, we’ll pause briefly at points to listen - without searching visually - and explore how foreground and background sounds shift when we stop moving. Many people find that tuning into patterned sound naturally changes how they observe the landscape.
• As always, participants are welcome to engage in whatever way feels right - listening, looking, identifying, or simply enjoying time in nature.

Driving directions and logistics

• Meet in the ample parking lot at Lake Lynn Park community center, 7921 Ray Road. Raleigh, NC 27613. The lot is tiered; park on either level.
• Follow the Wake Audubon | NAMI Wake County signs to our gathering place at the picnic tables at the far end of the lot, closest to the community center.
• Look for your co-hosts Rick, Mark, and Alexis. We’ll have lanyards or nametags on.

What to expect / bring

• We’ll start by snacking on pastries (some gluten free) and coffee (bring your morning beverage of choice otherwise) as we all greet and enjoy community with each other. 8:30 a.m. – 9 a.m.
• During this time, we’ll assist anyone to borrow binoculars. Please arrive at 8:30 to be provided a pair and receive personalized help to focus them for your eyesight. There’s no requirement to use binoculars, yet, we’ll have plenty to borrow if you choose to do so and provide a safe space to learn.
• Bring your own (refillable) water bottle if you intend to drink and/or carry water with you on the outing.
• The community center opens at 9 a.m. for anyone needing to use restrooms (gendered) or refill a water bottle.
• We’ll commence the outing right away afterwards.
• We’ll traverse some slight inclines and declines along a paved trail before reaching the flat of the over-water boardwalk (wooden slats) and paved trail that we’ll bird along after.
• Most paved trail is through shady woodland, and most boardwalk in the sun, so come prepared for both.
• For those unfamiliar with birding Lake Lynn Park, a section of willows along the boardwalk often provides great promise for migrating warblers this time of year.

What bird species frequent the Park and trail?
Check out Lake Lynn Park sightings on eBird ahead of us adding a checklist of our own.
Lake Lynn, Wake, North Carolina, United States - eBird Hotspot

Questions ahead?

• Email event manager Rick LaRose at rlarose.was@gmail.com.
• Text Rick on the day of the event with any questions at 919 609-7570.

We're looking forward to sharing community and birding together with you on Saturday, April 18!

Wake Audubon advocates birds, wildlife, nature, and environmental conservation with a commitment to providing activities where all can safely access and celebrate nature as their authentic selves.
NAMI Wake County is the local affiliate for the National Alliance on Mental Illness. We provide advocacy, education, support, and public awareness so that people affected by mental illness can build better lives.
Why partner together?
As more and more stressors impact our everyday lives, the toll on our mental health can be debilitating.
As remedy, birding, bird song, and time in nature are proven to ease stress, boost mood, promote community, and strengthen well-being. We’re a natural fit.