“For Birds” musical event at Journey Museum on eve of May 31st
“For the Birds” musical event at Journey Museum on eve of May 31st in Rapid City
Doors open at 6:00 for social and time to view the Avis Marvelous exhibit.
Concert starts at 7:00 – 8:30. Black Hills Raptor Center. will have some birds there as well.
Black Hills Citizen’s Climate Lobby (BHCCL) arranged for this event and the Rapid City Chapter of the Izaak Walton League appropriated a small grant to pay for the rental of the facility. The event is free but BHCCL asks that you register in advance for tickets at https://ForTheBirdsRapidCity.eventbrite.com
Quote from promotional sheet of performers;
“For the Birds features a jazz duo performing the original music o f Seattle pianist and composer Nelda Swiggett. But
this is not just a concert. The performance engages the power of artistic expression – live music, spoken words, images and
poetry – to connect audiences emotionally to the scientific realities o f our changing climate through the lens of
birds. Ultimately a story of hope, audiences leave the performance feeling empowered to take meaningful action.
Birds are on the frontlines of climate change as increasing numbers of extreme weather events disrupt the
rhythms o f the natural world. The number o f birds in North America has declined b y 2 9 percent since 1970, and
the rate of decline i s accelerating. What can one individual d o to make a positive difference for birds — for all living
things? For the Birds provides some answers.
Nelda debuted her first climate-themed concert, The Alaska Suite, i n 2017. Building on the success of the Alaska
Suite, she debuted For the Birds in 2024. Collectively, these concerts have been performed 47 times t o date,
touching over 3500 people with a message of hope and call to action.”
Nelda’s work featured nationally on NPR’s “Here & Now” in a clip entitled: “Climate change can be daunting. One woman creates music to help process feelings around it.”
Here is a sheet talking about the musicians: https://phas-wsd.org/wp-content/uploads/For-the-birds-dragged.pdf
For more information – Mary volunteer for BHCCL at rmdeibert@gmail.com