could work with. His family also made regular visits to the Lovett Memorial Library in Mount Airy, part of the Free Library of Philadelphia. There he could look at bird books. He turned that childhood fascination with birds into a successful career. Among his accomplishments, Mr. Russell started the Philadelphia Mid-Winter Bird Census in 1987. The census brings volunteers together to count bird species that inhabit the city. They saw 104 varieties in January 2019. He also has partnered with Philadelphia Parks & Recre- ation to successfully restore bird habitats in the Houston Meadow area of Fairmount Park. Mr. Russell notes that some bird species are becoming less common in the region. Some wood- land areas that provide habitats for birds are being cut down. City lights can cause birds to lose their sense of direction when they migrate at night— which is the time when many birds make their seasonal journeys. Birds are killed flying into windows that appear clear or have reflections. And birds are lost to pets that prey on them— especially cats. People could prevent some of these problems, Mr. Russell says. For example, they could put striped or dotted patterns on their windows to stop birds from flying into them. Keith Russell Finding joy through the miracle and beauty of birds “Birds bring us joy. They are beautiful and make us happier people in general,” says Keith Russell. He is program manager of urban conservation at Audu- bon Pennsylvania, an organization that works to protect birds and their habitats. It’s important to support bird habitats, because a healthy habitat for birds means a healthy environ- ment for humans, says Mr. Russell. Birds eat insects, rodents, and dead animals. They pollinate plants. And scientific research suggests that people who live around birds are less likely to be stressed or anxious. “When you are looking at things that are wonderful and miraculous, it helps you see yourself in a dif- ferent way and forget about things that make you unhappy,” Mr. Russell says. He first became interested in birds as a child and remembers doing a report on them in third grade. His parents supported his growing fascination by getting him binoculars and then finding people he 22