Once You See It, You Can’t Unsee It

“I came out of that vortex needing to KNOW more. To SEE more. That moment had an impact on me like nothing else has ever had. And because it hit me in such a profound, INSTANT way, like a bolt of lightning, I’ve been on a mission ever since to pass it on.”

In the outdoor world, we often talk about “peaks” and “performance.” We measure success in vertical feet or miles logged. But for JT, the most profound outdoor experiences happen in the pauses.

JT didn’t grow up with a field guide in his hand. He grew up just outside Philly, a South Jersey mall rat, playing ice hockey, and following the Grateful Dead. It took a global pandemic — and a sudden, eerie silence in the streets of San Francisco — for him to finally look at a bird.

Since that lightning-bolt moment in March 2020, JT has been on a mission to prove that birding isn’t a “secret society” — it’s a way of life accessible to ANYONE with a bit of curiosity and a decent pair of optics.

The Lightning Bolt Moment

“It’s gotta be the largest collective WTF in human history, right?” JT says, reflecting on March 2020. With the world on pause, he found himself at the Legion of Honor Museum. No cars. No planes. Just the sound of the breeze and twelve blackbirds landing on the grass.

“It was something about how they moved — the speed, agility, coordination. I realized I’d never really looked at a bird. One Wikipedia rabbit hole later, JT was hooked. That obsession became JT Birds — evolving from local walks into something with global reach, as more people connect to the work through travel, storytelling, photography, and a shared way of seeing.

The phrase “Once you SEE it, you can’t UNsee it” has become a defining idea behind JT Birds, and one JT often credits to his partner, Steph.

Breaking the "Expert" Barrier

There is a common misconception that to be a "birder," you need a vest with thirty pockets and a PhD in ornithology. JT is here to dismantle that.

"My target audience isn’t just the small number of people who already identify as birders. It’s everyone else," he explains. His philosophy aligns perfectly with the Nocs ethos: Make exploration approachable. Whether he’s handing out stickers and fist bumps in Golden Gate Park or setting up a spotting scope for birding so passersby can see a Great Horned Owlet, JT’s goal is connection, not just identification.

"Being remembered as someone’s 'spark bird' is about the coolest thing anybody has ever told me."

Tools for the Mindset

While JT spent his first four months birding with nothing but a phone camera, he’s the first to admit that modern outdoor optics changed the game. "Binoculars narrow the distance," he says. "You see their eyes, their expressions, behaviors. It makes them seem more real and alive."

When he’s out in the field, JT reaches for his Pro Issue 8x42s. For him, they are the ultimate binoculars for hiking and daily urban exploration because they balance brightness with a steady, stable image.

But it’s not just about the gear; it’s about the experience. In a world of constant scrolling, birding is the ultimate digital detox. It requires you to be present, to scan the trees for movement, and to actively listen.

JT Birds

JT Birds began as a personal practice, but it has grown into something much broader in scope.

JT Birds is led by JT and his partner, Steph.

The guided walks are one way people connect, but they’re only part of it — spanning sponsored collaborations and corporate wellness to outings with families, kids, older adults, local nonprofits, and even birding walks with Phish fans on tour — all grounded in the same idea: helping people slow down, LOOK UP, and connect to what’s around them.

Much of the reach now comes from what JT Birds puts out into the world — across social channels like Instagram (@jt_birds), YouTube, and Facebook, as well as through travel and storytelling from different places.

At its core, it’s about shifting awareness — getting more people, everywhere, to notice birds as something alive, dynamic, and worth paying attention to.

As JT puts it: “The GOAL of JT Birds is to raise avian awareness on a GLOBAL scale — not just in San Francisco. Steph and I have traveled extensively to see birds, with much more ahead — to see as much as we can and pass it on so more people begin to see and care about these often overlooked creatures. We want to shake up the consciousness — or CREATE one in some cases. If through our efforts even a mere 1% of the Earth’s population begins to care about birds, imagine what that could mean for conservation efforts.”

Community, Curiosity, and the Future

JT Birds’ walks aren’t just about checking species off a list; they’re about the “joy of discovery” we often lose as adults. From guiding 12-year-old twin “savants” from South Korea to leading corporate team-building events that swap slide decks for nature observation sessions, JT Birds is building a worldwide community rooted in a sense of wonder.

As Nocs continues to grow, we look to partners like JT Birds to remind us why we build these tools in the first place. It’s not about the glass specs — it’s about the light shifting across the water, the movement in the trees, and the small discoveries that stay with you long after you’ve headed home. It’s about impact.

Ready to find YOUR spark bird? Join JT Birds for a walk in San Francisco, or grab a pair of Nocs and head to your local park. Just remember to LOOK UP.