Photo courtesy of Wehr Nature Center
Michael Diaz - Wehr Nature Center
Michael Diaz at Wehr Nature Center
Franklin’s Wehr Nature Center (9701 W. College Ave.) has greatly expanded accessibility initiatives in recent years. As an opportunity for blind and vision-impaired folks to experience the wonders of nature—specifically birds—Wehr hosted the 2026 Blind Birder Bird-a-thon on May 3 earlier this year. The global event, facilitated annually by Birdability, invites folks to listen for as many bird species as possible over a day-long period. Wehr’s Bird-a-thon was co-led by park naturalist Holly Walz and volunteer Michael Diaz. As a low-vision person himself, Diaz is passionate about sharing his love for birding with others and has played a significant role in helping Wehr become a place for folks of all ability levels to enjoy birding themselves.
“Some blind people aren’t sure what they can all do and what’s accessible, so this just gives them another outlet,” Diaz affirms. “This is just one more hobby you can get into without vision. Anyone can bird. That’s what I like about it. You don’t even have to leave your house.” He has loved birds since he was five years old when he received birding-by-ear CDs as a gift from his mother’s friends. “I would just sit there and listen to those CDs for hours and hours. It’s been a growing fascination ever since.”
Having attended classes at Wehr as a child, Diaz has been volunteering with the nature center for about a year now. “I heard there was a bird-counting program on Sundays, so I went to those,” he continues. “I started studying phenology (the timing of everything), when birds are migrating and when flowers bloom and stuff like that.”
Wehr is currently partnered with local organization Audio, Braille, Literacy Enhancement (ABLE) on adapting its programming for blind and vision-impaired folks. Members of ABLE including executive director Cheryl Orgas attended the nature center’s Blind Birder Bird-a-thon, where Diaz and Walz led the group through Wehr’s sprawling trails while pausing periodically to listen for blue jays, woodpeckers, orioles, goldfinches and the many migratory species of warbler that stop at Wehr every spring.
Since stepping into her role at Wehr in 2022, executive director Carly Hinz has overseen the nature center’s implementation of those accessibility initiatives. “My sister is blind, and I’ve always had this dream for her to go to a place and feel so comfortable walking around and exploring on her own,” she shares. “Other people who are blind also should have—and deserve—to be able to independently traverse a nature center trail. We as a center really want to be that place.”
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Braille Trail Maps
Wehr recently created a Braille version of its trail maps; Diaz helped proofread the descriptions of prior to publication. “I do honestly think every place should have that,” he notes. “For that to exist for blind people, to be able to navigate on their own, is huge for our independence. This is just one more thing we have access to and I think it’s great.”
In fact, the day prior to the bird-a-thon, Diaz helped lead a separate bird walk at Wehr with Blind Outdoor Leisure Development (BOLD). “I like seeing more of us out here,” he affirms. In addition to helping folks identify birds by sound, he loves to share his knowledge with folks new to birding about differences between different types of birds and their behavioral patterns. “Don’t underestimate us,” Diaz remarks. “A lot of people do, and I want to prove them wrong.”
Beyond Wehr, Diaz hopes to work with ABLE on helping other local nature centers create Braille trail maps of their own. “It’s always a goal to get more on my lifer list too,” he laughs. “I love Wehr; this is like my home.”
Other Wisconsin spots Diaz loves birding at include Kettle Moraine’s Mauthe Lake, Governor Dodge State Park in the Driftless Area and Lake Kegonsa near Madison. He cites the northern mockingbird as one of his favorite birds. “It always fascinated me because it can mimic other birds so well,” he explains. “You’re thinking it’s another bird until it changes calls. That happened to me one time when I thought I was hearing a Carolina wren—then all of a sudden it changed. Mockingbirds can imitate crickets too … they’re very cool!”
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