Due to the (first) COVID-19 outbreak, we (Danté and Maxwell) have had much more time to be outdoors, at a safe distance from others. We developed a routine of going birding every day for at least three hours. We would often count all the species of birds that we saw on a clipboard and paper. Other birders on the trail who were intrigued by the clipboard, binoculars, and camera assumed that we (Max and Danté) must be birders. We would share our recent sitings and any migrant birds we saw with anyone who would listen. Eventually, we would see the same people repeatedly, and then we would have conversations about birding with other birders from across the trail. 

One day, Max got the idea that we should not just share all of their findings with the people we met but create a book about the parks of Arlington. The more we thought about it, the more we realized that it would not be worth all the paper used, all the carbon put into production, all the money spent, and quite frankly, we didn't have the time. 

Max thought about making a website instead, but the idea died down for a while. Then we were walking through Glencarlyn Park and saw one of the people that we see often whom we call "The owl guy." We talked to him for a while, and then, as we were leaving, he said to Max, "You should publish some of the stuff you do." Max said, "Told you!" to Danté, and the next day, we started the website.