"For the Birds": Music, Poetry, and Climate Awareness in Leschi

Leschi residents were treated to a unique blend of music, science, and storytelling last month when former neighbors Nelda and Clif Swiggett returned to share their multimedia program, For the Birds—an intimate performance exploring how climate change is reshaping the lives of migratory birds in the Pacific Northwest and beyond.

Hosted in the home of Deidre Silva and Michael McCahill, who generously opened their doors and provided plant-based appetizers for guests, the evening offered both beauty and urgency. This was the second performance the couple has hosted for the Swiggetts. Moved deeply when she first saw For the Birds performed as a quintet, Deidre wanted to continue supporting its environmental mission.

This Leschi performance marked the first time the Swiggetts presented the program as a duet, featuring Nelda on piano and voice and Clif on trombone and percussion. The two are now taking the duet version on the road.

Throughout the evening, original jazz compositions were paired with stunning projected photographs of Northwest birds. Between songs, the Swiggetts shared original poems by Jill McGrath, accompanied by piano, offering moments of reflection amidst the science and sound.

Interwoven with the music was a deeply informative presentation on the impact of climate change on birds including the Pacific Flyway, the vast migratory route stretching from Alaska all the way to Patagonia in South America. The Swiggetts highlighted the mounting challenges birds now face:

• Forest fires forcing some geese to fly as high as 13,000 feet in attempts to escape dense smoke.

• False Springs, causing plants to bloom too early, leaving returning birds with limited food during key breeding periods.

• A staggering 29 percent decrease in North American bird populations, a loss of nearly three billion birds since 1970.

The facts were sobering, but the Swiggetts managed to strike a powerful balance between heartbreak and hope. While the challenges are immense, there is still time—and still action we can take.

At the end of the evening, guests received a climate action quiz, offering both new information and practical steps individuals can take to help protect the environment we share with these migratory species.

For the Birds was a reminder of the interconnectedness between art, science, and stewardship. Leschi was fortunate to experience this thoughtful, moving program firsthand, and many left inspired not only by the beauty of the music but by the responsibility we share in protecting the natural world around us.

For more about the program, visit neldaswiggett.com/for-the-birds.

~Nikola Davidson