Andrew Warren is a 15, was born in New York, and moved to Kentucky in 2019. He was inspired to join Taking Flight because he wanted to learn more about birds, and was interested in them for a long time. He loves how the program has connected him to nature in a way that no other program did.

Leecy Tock is a 18 year old born in Troy, New York, and moved to Kentucky when she was 6. She learned about it through a homeschool group, and decided to join. She has been here since the start! Her favorite part about Taking Flight is the birds.

Shawndel Pleasant is a 17 year old from Detroit, MI, who moved to Kentucky in 2015. He joined Taking Flight as an extracurricular in 2021, and stayed because he realized how amazing the experience was, and decided not to leave. His favorite part about the program is being in nature.

Ayla Brouwer is a 14 year old from Chicago, IL, who moved to Kentucky at a young age, and grew up in the suburbs of Winchester. Ayla always had a love for nature, and when she learned about the program, she was eager to start. She started recently, but has known people that did Taking Flight, like Reese HImes, who actually told her about the program. Her favorite parts about Taking Flight are getting to hold birds and meet all the nice people.

Reese (14) and Ruby (16) Himes are sisters who grew up in Lexington, Kentucky, and have been doing Taking Flight since the start of the program, in 2021. Reese and Ruby got the idea to go to Taking Flight from their mother, and immediately grew to love the amazing experience and wonderful community. Reese’s favorite part about Taking Flight is getting to hold and interact with birds. Ruby’s is also holding the birds, and that it’s amazing to watch living things interact in nature.

Darnell Garrett is a 17 year old from Chicago, IL, who moved to Kentucky when he was 9. He joined Taking Flight 2 years ago, when the leader of the program, Dave Westneat, came to his school and talked about bird migration. This inspired Darnell to join and learn more about birds with a local community. Darnell’s favorite part about Taking Flight is capturing the birds and looking at their beautiful feathers, and everything that makes each bird unique.

Anna Holder is a 15 year old from Lexington, Kentucky. She heard about the program through Ayla Brouwer as just an activity, but soon grew fond of the experience and joined full time. Her favorite part about Taking Flight is photography and getting to spend time in nature. She really enjoys the time she gets in nature because she goes to Lafayette High School, which limits her outdoor time.