Day Scott relocated to Lander from Los Angeles nearly three years ago. She misses some of the shopping options, but the lack of hustle and bustle is just fine with her.
After coming to Lander for a wilderness medicine course, she fell in love with the area and decided to stay.
Scott loves all things nature. She’s a wildlife photographer, outdoor educator, and a writer. Her biggest passion though is birding. She began studying birds in LA, and found new opportunities in Fremont County.
Last year, Day was traveling through Wyoming when a herd of pronghorn raced across a highway in front of her vehicle. She doesn’t remember colliding with them, but she does remember waking up hurt and confused. Scott suffered a traumatic brain injury in the crash.
Her recovery has been impressive to say the least. She gets better each day, but it hasn’t been easy.
Scott recalled an incident after watching birds at Lander’s City Park. She attempted to walk home after the outing. Dizziness and disorientation set in. Day said that she sat down to try to regain her balance, not realizing she was only a few houses away from her front door. Luckily, a neighbor was able to assist her into her household.
She just surpassed the one-year mark of recovery. Slowly, but very steadily, Day pushes herself back into the field.
In late May, birding was put in the national spotlight, and not in a good way. Christian Cooper, a black man was bird watching in New York’s Central Park. A white woman who was walking her dog nearby called police on Cooper. While there is some inconsistency with what led to the exchange, Christian began recording the woman in a video that went viral. Ultimately, she was charged with creating a false police report. That incident took place the same day as the killing of Geroge Floyd in Minneapolis.
Scott wrote about the incident, and her experience as a bird watcher who happens to be a person of color. Audobon Rockies shared her article. She described getting reaction from all across the world about her article. She heard from many who were positively influenced by her message, and even bonded with a woman who also had suffered a traumatic brain injury.
Day recently sat down with County 10 to discuss her background, the Central Park incident, and overcoming her injury. You can catch Day’s conversation on the County 10 Podcast, either by searching for it on your favorite podcast app or clicking here.
Check out a few birding photos from Day below and for more on her work, follow @Wilderness_Goddess on Instagram.
