If you’ve ever wondered whether that patch of native red-flowering currant in your yard is really helping birds, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology has made it easier to learn how—and to make your garden even more useful to wildlife.

Somewhere this morning, a first-time birder opened the Merlin app, pointed a phone at a backyard tree, and learned the name of a song they'd heard their whole life. That moment is happening millions of times over. And it is why I am hopeful about Eastside Audubon.