NVCT Interview: Kojo Baidoo
Welcome our first Communications Fellow, Kojo Baidoo! Kojo brings to NVCT a strong understanding of ecology and conservation, experience in the field, evident passion, and a bonus: he’s a birder! As Kojo likes to put it, “birding has really guided a lot of my life decisions.” We’re excited to see what Kojo creates to connect others with our work.
Did you grow up in the area?
“I grew up in Maryland in northern Baltimore County, slightly outside of what most consider the DMV. It was a pretty rural area and I spent most of my time outdoors!”
What are some of your favorite activities to do outside?
“Birding, period. I haven’t been birding since birth, but it’s pretty close!”
Kojo recounted a story of the first time his interest in birds was sparked. “I was at a scholastic book fair, and I think everyone got to pick at least one book to take home for free. My older brother’s class happened to be there at the same time. I pointed out a book about birds that drew my eye, and he encouraged me to get it. From then on, I was reading books about birds at the library, looking at bird pictures, and watching the birds that would be in my backyard.”
Where did you go to school and what did you study? Why did you pick that particular field of study?
“I went to Princeton in New Jersey, where I studied ecology and evolutionary biology. I often say birding has guided many of my life choices, and that is definitely true here. I continued to bird throughout high school and knew I wanted to work in a field that gave back to nature, because nature had given me so much.”
Did you envision coming back to the DMV after college?
“Going to school in New Jersey was a test run to see if I was comfortable with living away from home and family. I could do it, but I did still miss the landscapes I grew up in.”
After completing his undergraduate degree, Kojo interned at the Cape May Bird Observatory as an Interpretive Naturalist and then in Nebraska as a Conservation Fellow for the Nature Conservancy (TNC) and finally served as a Program Assistant at the Crane Trust.
“After living in Nebraska, I realized I’m not a prairie guy! I’m more of a forest guy. My family was definitely a reason for moving back, but so was the environment itself. As a kid, I was always outside in forests and have strong ties to the local parks around me. I’d like to stay in the Mid-Atlantic.”
What was your motivation to move from conservation fieldwork to communications?
“I enjoyed connecting people with birds through my own passion. Also, I didn’t have as much fun doing field jobs. I quickly learned that temporary field jobs weren't for me anymore. I did enjoy getting to travel, and connecting with people face to face was rewarding. After working in Nebraska, I moved back home and was looking for my next conservation job, and I saw that TNC had an open communications position. That’s when I realized I could branch into this part of conservation work.”
While home, Kojo has not been resting on his laurels; he has been working with the Wild Bird Research Group and the Maryland Ornithological Society, capturing content across the DMV.
You run your own social account (@KojoBirder) that is incredibly successful; what motivated you to create the account, and when did it start?
“I started my account when I was in middle school for fun. I would post photos of birds online. In high school, I made a new account and was still just posting photos on Instagram, and I had about 4,000 followers at the time.”
“After I graduated, I started taking it more seriously and started filming video content. With that, I started adding more of my personality to content since I was in the videos. Even after I found a following, it didn’t occur to me that the content I was creating could ever be a job in my field.”
Kojo’s current account is @Kojo Birder on Instagram. Kojo posts educational and fun content about birds and birding! Kojo travels all over the U.S., documenting birds he sees while sharing educational information about birds and their roles in the environment. Along the way, he shares stories about the people he meets and his passion for birds.
What made you want to apply for this fellowship?
“I’ve always known I’ve wanted to work in conservation, and being back home, I wanted to give back to the areas around me. Growing up, many of the places I explored were in my neighborhood or city or even my backyard.”
Do you feel there are any skills or knowledge you utilize in communications work today that you picked up from fieldwork?
“Having background knowledge of what you are posting about is always good, and it makes the job more enjoyable. I think being a person who already enjoys being outdoors helps because your work takes you outdoors to capture nature.”
How do you feel this experience differs from your previous fellowships?
“One of the sides of NVCT that may be different for me is that it's a smaller localized organization. I didn’t get to interact with the entire staff at larger organizations; it’s enjoyable to be tapped in with others to help me learn more about the organization. I also think NVCT will shift my perception of what conservation is. It’s not just huge preserves. It’s the local park down the street or the garden in your backyard. I didn’t get into birding by going to Yellowstone; 90% of the birding I did was in my yard or neighborhood.”
What are your plans after this fellowship?
“I would like to stay in communications in the nonprofit world. I imagine I might go back to school again to strengthen my knowledge and hopefully continue to work in the environmental nonprofit space.”
Keep your eyes peeled for new content and videos on our socials! We’re ready for Kojo to bring his star power to the NVCT stage!
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