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[email protected] In this episode of the Mindful Birding Podcast, we spend time with Diego Calderón-Franco, a well-known Colombian bird guide whose remarkable story was recently featured on 60 Minutes with Anderson Cooper. After surviving a harrowing kidnapping and being held hostage, Diego turned to birds as a source of strength and healing. But his story reaches beyond his own resilience—it is also one of grace, reconciliation, and the unexpected ways birds can bring people together. You can hear and watch more of his story and meet some of the people he refers to in this National Geographic video “Birdwatching with Farc” by Tristan Martin.  In the episode, Diego talks about a recent 7.4 earthquake in western Colombia, and the devastating impacts to the people and especially many Colombian bird guides, and he mentions ways to help the people there by donating in the following ways: https://vaki.co/en/birders-together or people can also donate directly via PayPal: https://paypal.me/COLOMBIABirding Holly Merker offers a the voices of the Canada Warbler, Red-eyed Vireo, and Yellow Warbler in the Joy of Birdsong segment, giving nod to birds North America shares with Colombia. Intro music: “Inspired by Nature” by PlayAgain Intro Birdsong & Clips throughout : Western Meadowlark Outro music: “Inspired by Nature” by PlayAgain Outro Birdsong: Eastern Meadowlark Mindful Birding Network Website Instagram: @mindfulbirdingnetwork Produced by Co-hosts Holly Merker and Holly Thomas

[email protected] In this episode, Holly & Holly reflect on the evolution of Mindful Birding over the past five years and explore some of the influences that may have helped this slower, more intentional way of being with birds take flight. Why does Mindful Birding seem to resonate so strongly right now, and what might its growing popularity tell us about what people are seeking from their time in nature? We also delve into recent research examining the many ways people interact with wild birds—and what those interactions may mean for human health and wellbeing, and specifically reference this paper that Holly Merker contributed to: The human health and well-being benefits of birds: a systematic scoping review of interaction patterns We discuss the growing interest in Mindful Birding Retreats and why opportunities to slow down, reconnect with nature, and spend meaningful time with birds are finding a place within the broader global movement toward wellness travel and retreats. And share with our listeners an upcoming Mindful Birding Retreat in Sedona, Arizona that the "Hollys" will be co-guiding with Field Guides. Chris Benesh returns for this episode's Joy of Birdsong segment, and brings us a soundscape from the desert southwest, which features the wonderfully curious song of the Yellow-breasted Chat.  Intro music: “Inspired by Nature” by PlayAgain Intro Birdsong & Clips throughout : Western Meadowlark Outro music: “Inspired by Nature” by PlayAgain Outro Birdsong: Eastern Meadowlark Mindful Birding Network Website Instagram: @mindfulbirdingnetwork Produced by Co-hosts Holly Merker and Holly Thomas

[email protected] In this episode, our guest is Dr. Don McCown, Director of the Center of Contemplative Studies at the West Chester University in Pennsylvania. Don is also a birder and nature lover who has dedicated his long-career to exploring the teaching and practice of mindfulness in public health, higher education, early childhood, and community settings.  We cover various topics including public health, biophilia, self-regulation through mindfulness, and teaching these skills to others through nature.  You can find more info about Dr.McCown’s work here including the books he’s co-authored. Check out his podcast, Learning Life Skills Together here Holly Thomas reads an excerpt from “For Presence” by John O’Donahue Holly Merker shares a soundscape with the Louisiana Waterthrush song Intro music: “Inspired by Nature” by PlayAgain Intro Birdsong & Clips throughout : Western Meadowlark Outro music: “Inspired by Nature” by PlayAgain Outro Birdsong: Eastern Meadowlark Mindful Birding Network Website Instagram: @mindfulbirdingnetwork Produced by Co-hosts Holly Merker and Holly Thomas

[email protected] In this episode, we’ve invited our listeners and network members to share works of poetry or prose that holds meaning for them within their own practice of Mindful Birding. For many practitioners of Mindful Birding, the art of poetry or putting words to our connections to birds can be a powerful element of the practice. In this episode, you will hear the voices of Kai Siedenburg, Arax Seghman, Pam Zicca, Susan Preston, Dave Edson, along with your two cohosts, Holly & Holly.    Intro music: “Inspired by Nature” by PlayAgain Intro Birdsong & Clips throughout : Western Meadowlark Outro music: “Inspired by Nature” by PlayAgain Outro Birdsong: Eastern Meadowlark Mindful Birding Network Website Instagram: @mindfulbirdingnetwork Produced by Co-hosts Holly Merker and Holly Thomas

[email protected] In this episode, we explore the theme of resilience and the ways Mindful Birding can help strengthen our own psychological wellbeing during challenging times. We reflect on how turning our attention to birds can offer grounding, perspective, and gentle encouragement when life feels heavy or uncertain.  We also spotlight the role of the caregiver, and how finding time to connect with birds can offer much-needed respite, renewal, and restoration. *In our Joy of Birdsong segment, natural sound recordist Laura Sebastianelli shares a recording of American Woodcock performing a sky dance at Frazer Point on the Schoodic Peninsula in Acadia National Park in Winter Harbor, Maine. If you want to learn to record nature, or are already an experienced recordist, she invites you to join her and others in a Natural Sound Recordists Gathering for a week of exceptional field recording opportunities in the Cobscook Bay region of Maine to record, learn, and share among peers. *** Due to processing and automated mastering through our podcast platform, Laura Sebastianelli’s audio file was unfortunately badly distorted!  We sincerely apologize for this issue and would like to offer listeners access to the original recording, where you can hear her beautiful recording its unmastered, undistorted form.: https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/435216921 Intro music: “Inspired by Nature” by PlayAgain Intro Birdsong & Clips throughout : Western Meadowlark Outro music: “Inspired by Nature” by PlayAgain Outro Birdsong: Eastern Meadowlark Mindful Birding Network Website Instagram: @mindfulbirdingnetwork Produced by Co-hosts Holly Merker and Holly Thomas

[email protected] In this episode we spend time with long-time Mindful Birding Network member Faraaz Abdool, and we a style of birding that Faraaz calls Casual Birding, and how this style, like Mindful Birding, anchors itself in the quality of attention.   Faraaz is a wildlife photographer, author, speaker, and birding guide from Trinidad & Tobago who is passionate about making birding more accessible and meaningful for people everywhere. His book Casual Birding in Trinidad & Tobago, published in 2020, explores a philosophy of birding that emphasizes enjoyment, curiosity, and connection over competition. This intention of "birding and being" is Mindful Birding.  Faraaz’s photography and writing have been widely published, and he regularly speaks with birding groups, podcasts, and conservation audiences around the world. Through his guiding, media work, and collaborations , Faraaz helps inspire a deeper appreciation for birds and the experience of observing them. Check out Faraaz's website here: Faraaz Abdool,com More about Faraaz here Intro music: “Inspired by Nature” by PlayAgain Intro Birdsong & Clips throughout : Western Meadowlark Outro music: “Inspired by Nature” by PlayAgain Outro Birdsong: Eastern Meadowlark Mindful Birding Network Website Instagram: @mindfulbirdingnetwork Produced by Co-hosts Holly Merker and Holly Thomas

[email protected] In this episode, we discuss the Merlin Bird ID app, an AI tool for bird identification that can help us identify bird sounds, and we discuss how using Merlin impacts our experiences while practicing Mindful Birding, and pose the question: could Merlin sometimes be a barrier for deepening our experiences with birds around us, or be counter-active to Mindful Birding?  We’re curious to hear your thoughts on this too, and welcome your comments via email (see link above) In our Joy of Birdsong segment, natural sound recordist Laura Sebastianelli shares the sounds of a dawn chorus with a rich sense of place in Acadia National Park. If you want to learn to record nature, or are already an experienced recordist, she invites you to join her and others in a Natural Sound Recordists Gathering for a week of exceptional field recording opportunities in the Cobscook Bay region of Maine to record, learn, and share among peers. Intro music: “Inspired by Nature” by PlayAgain Intro Birdsong & Clips throughout : Western Meadowlark Outro music: “Inspired by Nature” by PlayAgain Outro Birdsong: Eastern Meadowlark Mindful Birding Network Website Instagram: @mindfulbirdingnetwork Produced by Co-hosts Holly Merker and Holly Thomas

[email protected] In this episode, Holly and Holly spend time chatting with Dr. Inbal Ravreby, a post-doctoral researcher at the Cornell University. We chat with Dr. Ravreby about how our experiences in nature and with birds can transport us into a different state of mind and shift our own self-perception. Something called "self-other" blurring, or self / non-self blurring. We talk about these fascinating research areas and how they might positively benefit our experiences while mindful birding.  In our Joy of Birdsong segment, we listen to the soundscapes of coastal Delaware and the voices of many migratory birds stopping over on an August morning at the Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge on the east coast of the United States. Other resources mentioned in this episode include:  Nature and Health Alliance Forest Therapy  Mindful Birding Mindfulness Meditation  Empathy and Compassion Intro music: “Inspired by Nature” by PlayAgain Intro Birdsong & Clips throughout : Western Meadowlark Outro music: “Inspired by Nature” by PlayAgain Outro Birdsong: Eastern Meadowlark Mindful Birding Network Website Instagram: @mindfulbirdingnetwork Produced by Co-hosts Holly Merker and Holly Thomas

[email protected] We’re excited to share our third annual “Gratitude for Birds” special—an episode shaped by the voices and heartfelt reflections of our own community. Through voices from around the world, we explore how practicing gratitude can deepen our mindful birding experiences and support our overall feelings of wellbeing. We invited our listeners and members of the Mindful Birding Network to share gratitude for birds, and now, we’re delighted to pass the microphone to them.  You will hear from Dave Edson, Karen , Krista Haenen, Arax Seghman, Ryan, Joy R., George Armistead, Freya McGregor, Susan J. Preston, Pam Zicca, Bruce, and Emily. Holly Thomas reads Mary Oliver’s poem Red Bird, and for our Joy of Birdsong segment, Holly Merker shares songs of an iconic red bird, the Northern Cardinal  Intro music: “Inspired by Nature” by PlayAgain Intro Birdsong & Clips throughout : Western Meadowlark Outro music: “Inspired by Nature” by PlayAgain Outro Birdsong: Eastern Meadowlark Mindful Birding Network Website Instagram: @mindfulbirdingnetwork Produced by Co-hosts Holly Merker and Holly Thomas

[email protected] There are times when we cannot get outdoors but our wellbeing can surely benefit from the sounds of a natural landscape. Especially so when we can connect to the birds around us by immersing ourselves in the sounds of our own neighborhoods or yards.  In this episode we sit down with Casey Halverson and Scott Whittle, creators and project leads for Terra, a monitoring device that brings live listening experiences of the outdoors, indoors, as they share how we can use Terra to help birds, and other wildlife, as well as ourselves.  In our Joy of Birdsong segment, Chris Benesh returns to share a recording of a Stygian Owl, right in time for Halloween.  Intro music: “Inspired by Nature” by PlayAgain Intro Birdsong & Clips throughout : Western Meadowlark Outro music: “Inspired by Nature” by PlayAgain Outro Birdsong: Eastern Meadowlark Mindful Birding Network Website Instagram: @mindfulbirdingnetwork Produced by Co-hosts Holly Merker and Holly Thomas

[email protected] In this episode, we spend time chatting about deepening our connections to birds through Mindful Birding experiences and how engaging our senses can enhance our experiences and feelings of connections.  We cover a variety of subjects, including some key take-aways from a New York Times article published in August that asserts that time spent in nature can boost your attention span.  In our Joy of Birdsong segment, we showcase the music of a singing Blackburnian Warbler recorded by special guest Wil Hershberger, on behalf of the Schoodic Institute’s Birds of Acadia Sound library.  Additional links: Practical Applications of Grounding to Support Health, Glover, K., 2022 Wil Hershberger's Song of Insects  Seth Benz : https://schoodicinstitute.org/team/seth-benz/ Schoodic Notes Blog: https://schoodicnotes.blog/author/schoodicnotes/ Intro music: “Inspired by Nature” by PlayAgain Intro Birdsong & Clips throughout : Western Meadowlark Outro music: “Inspired by Nature” by PlayAgain Outro Birdsong: Eastern Meadowlark Mindful Birding Network Website Instagram: @mindfulbirdingnetwork Produced by Co-hosts Holly Merker and Holly Thomas

[email protected] In this 30th episode of the Mindful Birdng Podcast, we bring you Part II of Mindful Birding and Nature Journaling. We chat with Cheryl Fallstead, current president of the Mesilla Valley Audubon in Las Cruces New Mexico and learn the ways in which she personally has come to find joy and personal growth through Nature Journaling, and how this has been incorporated into the programming of Mesilla Valley Audubon. In our conversation, Cheryl talks about the Wild Wonder Foundation and the upcoming virtual conference open to all. In the Science Segment, Holly Thomas overviews research and papers focusing on the wellness and learning benefits of Nature Journaling centering on these two papers: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14729679.2024.2425933 https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13504622.2024.2405901 Thanks to all of you who shared feedback from our previous episodes. We invite you to reach out to us if there’s a topic you are interested in hearing more about, or want to share your takeaways from the Mindful Birding Podcast. Intro music: “Inspired by Nature” by PlayAgain Intro Birdsong & Clips throughout : Western Meadowlark Outro music: “Inspired by Nature” by PlayAgain Outro Birdsong: Eastern Meadowlark Mindful Birding Network Website Instagram: @mindfulbirdingnetwork Produced by Co-hosts Holly Merker and Holly Thomas

[email protected] In the next two episodes of the Mindful Birding podcast, we’ll be highlighting Nature Journaling as a Mindful Birding practice, sharing how incorporating this style of reflection as a mindfulness tool can enhance our experiences.   In this episode, we spend time with the highly creative Maine artist Rebekah Lowell, who is also an award-winning author, birder and avid nature journalist who teaches nature journaling to wide audiences of people. Rebekah is a survivor of domestic who found solace, peace, and joy through birds and nature. In this episode, we learn more about her work, process, and how you can get started with your own nature journaling practice. In the episode, Rebekah talks about some of her illustrations and paintings, and you can view them on our website here Holly Thomas reads the poem The Summer Day by American poet, Mary Oliver. Holly Merker transports us into a soundscape of an eastern forest in July for the Joy of Birdsong. Links and References from this episode: Rebekah's Website Instagram - Rebekah Lowell FREE "PAINT A YELLOW WARBLER" TUTORIAL by Rebekah Lowell  WILD WONDER CONFERENCE  Artist Michael Boardman Amy Tan's The Backyard Bird Chronicals Intro music: “Inspired by Nature” by PlayAgain Intro Birdsong & Clips throughout : Western Meadowlark Outro music: “Inspired by Nature” by PlayAgain Outro Birdsong: Eastern Meadowlark Mindful Birding Network Website Instagram: @mindfulbirdingnetwork Produced by Co-hosts Holly Merker and Holly Thomas

[email protected] In this episode we’re offering something a bit different from our typical podcasts. And this may change when or how you might listen to this episode. Holly Merker offers an 11 minute forest guided imagery experience, and Holly Thomas offers a 22 minute Yoga Nidra experience with  birds.  Natural soundscapes and bird soundtracks in this episode recorded by Holly & Holly. Holly Merker shares soundtracks from Acadia National Park in Maine and eastern Pennsylvania, and Holly Thomas shares soundscapes from northern California.  Intro music: “Inspired by Nature” by PlayAgain Intro Birdsong & Clips throughout : Western Meadowlark Outro music: “Inspired by Nature” by PlayAgain Outro Birdsong: Eastern Meadowlark Mindful Birding Network Website Instagram: @mindfulbirdingnetwork Produced by Co-hosts Holly Merker and Holly Thomas

[email protected] In this episode, we recap the Nature and Health Conference held in Houston, Texas by the Nature and Health Alliance, and share our takeaways of inspiration, learning, and activation propeling the initiatives of nature -based health initiatives within the frame of Mindful Birding. We discuss the work of Dr. Nalini Nadkarni, and an international award-winning and inspirational documentary featuring experiences of her life called Between Earth and Sky   We learned from some inspiring leaders in the field of nature prescriptions and therapeutic outdoor experiences, including (and there are many more!): Campus Nature Rx Network  Nature Can Heal Parks Rx Dr. Jennifer Roberts Boyznthewood  Cj Goulding Jaime Gonzalez REI Cooperative Action Fund Blue Sky Funders Forum  We refer to these previous podcast episodes:  Episode 20: Mindful Birding for Mental Health & Self-Compassion: Good Birds, Good Birders, and FOMO : https://www.buzzsprout.com/2148646/episodes/15961485 Episode 9: Prescriptive Nature  https://www.buzzsprout.com/2148646/episodes/13874210 In our "Mindful Birding Nerding" Science Segment, Holly Thomas shares a study examining the power of outdoor MBSR practice, and explores the power of story woven in, posing prompts for you to consider in your own practice.  For the Joy of Birdsong, Holly Merker shares an audio clip of chorus of the American Robin recorded in Pennsylvania.  Intro music: “Inspired by Nature” by PlayAgain Intro Birdsong & Clips throughout : Western Meadowlark Outro music: “Inspired by Nature” by PlayAgain Outro Birdsong: Eastern Meadowlark Mindful Birding Network Website Instagram: @mindfulbirdingnetwork Produced by Co-hosts Holly Merker and Holly Thomas