The Mindful Birding Podcast

mindfulbirdingnetwork@gmail.com 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 r...

mindfulbirdingnetwork@gmail.com 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...

mindfulbirdingnetwork@gmail.com 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 topic...

mindfulbirdingnetwork@gmail.com 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 K...

mindfulbirdingnetwork@gmail.com 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 tim...

mindfulbirdingnetwork@gmail.com 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...

mindfulbirdingnetwork@gmail.com 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? ...

mindfulbirdingnetwork@gmail.com 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...

mindfulbirdingnetwork@gmail.com 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 Bi...

mindfulbirdingnetwork@gmail.com 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 monitor...

mindfulbirdingnetwork@gmail.com 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...

mindfulbirdingnetwork@gmail.com 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 int...

mindfulbirdingnetwork@gmail.com 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 av...

mindfulbirdingnetwork@gmail.com 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 &amp...

mindfulbirdingnetwork@gmail.com 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 in...

mindfulbirdingnetwork@gmail.com In this episode, we explore the question: if we combine both music created by people with the music of birds, can this amplify the wellness benefits of both of them?  We interview Diane Arkenstone , an internationally acclaimed musician and bird lover, who shares her music with the world to inspire a soothing meditation and healing, especially in her latest release...

mindfulbirdingnetwork@gmail.com Can Mindful Birding pair with bird photography? In this episode of the Mindful Birding Podcast, we interview photographer, designer, award-winning author, and mindfulness meditation practitioner, Susan Preston , addressing what might be a controversial topic: Is it possible to practice mindfulness through the camera lens?  We learn more about Susan's inspiratio...

mindfulbirdingnetwork@gmail.com In this episode, we dive into the idea that by leaning into joy through wild birds, we can help offset a negativity bias that researchers suggest we are innately wired towards.  We consider how shifting our attention onto birds may empower change to our mental states and might even alter our brain structures in a positive way.   In the Mindful Birding Nerding Scienc...

mindfulbirdingnetwork@gmail.com In this episode we talk with Freya McGregor , owner of Access Birding LLC , about what it means to create accessible and inclusive experiences for everyone, and why Mindful Birding offers an inclusive and therapeutic experience for all people. We'll hear  about the Access Birding  certification course , and other opportunities on innovative approaches to access...

mindfulbirdingnetwork@gmail.com In this episode, we have a conversation with Lillian Stokes and Matthew Young , authors of the interactive and engaging new book The Stokes Guide to Finches of the United States and Canada , a book that embodies hope and joy, and can serve as a bridge between our personal wellbeing and understanding finches.  The authors share how their backgrounds in social work an...

mindfulbirdingnetwork@gmail.com In this episode, we honor gratitude for wild birds, by playing voices of gratitude from around the world, which some of our listeners and network members have offered.  We thank all that have contributed and those of you who listen!  You will hear the voices of: Arax , United Kingdom Don Boyd, New Mexico Pamela Lowell, Massachusetts Pam Kolber-Zicca, New York Mary,...

mindfulbirdingnetwork@gmail.com Do you often hear the question: “See anything good?”  while birding?   In this episode we discuss this question and tease apart the idea of “what is a good bird”, what is a “good birder”, and how sometimes these questions might allow self-judgement to surface, and how these questions relate to both our mental health and self-compassion.   We also bring up the fear o...

mindfulbirdingnetwork@gmail.com Have you ever wondered how you can become even more attuned to the birds around you?   In this episode of the Mindful Birding Podcast, Holly and Holly have a conversation with Dan Gardoqui , a well known specialist in bird language, and nature-based consultant & coach, award winning educator and naturalist.  You’ll get to hear some tips and input on deepening ou...

mindfulbirdingnetwork@gmail.com In this episode we welcome Dr. Barbara Patterson from Fort Collins Colorado. Barb’s work of creating and contributing to the Mindful Birding programs in her community is tremendous. Her latest endeavor is called The Mindful Birding Project , and she shares the details with us here. Barb authored the booklet A Mindful Birding Journey which was first distributed to ca...

mindfulbirdingnetwork@gmail.com In this episode, Holly and Holly discuss locations and sites we consider optimal for Mindful Birding group outings, and highlight why sitting in one spot, or Sit Spots , can offer rewards and unexpected surprises. We discuss why we feel Mindful Birding is gaining more traction, and how Mindful Birding experiences can intersect other interests, such as poetry, fine a...