COLUMBIA — More young people are discovering a love for birding — a trend that could help Columbia become one of Missouri’s first Bird City communities.

Lottie Bushmann with the Columbia Audubon Society said she’s seen more students and families getting involved in birding over the past few years.

“It’s really taken off,” Bushmann said. “Birding helps people slow down, notice nature and want to take care of it.”

Some of those young birders are Van and Theo Scroggins, 10-year-old twins from Columbia who say that what started as a hobby has become a passion.

“I like to watch the birds outside in my backyard,” Theo said. “Sometimes I will call for birds.”

Nationally, birding has grown in popularity among younger generations. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reports that the number of A

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