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 monitoring device that brings live listening experiences of the outdoors, indoors, as they share how...

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 attention span. In our Joy of Birdsong segment, we showcase the music of a singing B...

mindfulbirdingnetwork@gmail.com In this 30th episode of the Mindful Biridng 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 W...

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 avid nature journalist who teaches nature journaling to wide audiences of people. Rebekah...

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 & Holly. Holly Merker shares soundtracks from Acadia National Park in Maine and easter...

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 inspirational documentary featuring experiences of her life called Between Earth and Sky We l...

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 elevating the songs of birds as her vocalists within. Diane shares how nature and nature's m...

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 inspiration by the birds as they translate through her lens, as she shares about some of the language surro...

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 Science segment, Dr. Holly Thomas shares how generating positive emotions through birdi...

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 accessibility and inclusivity in birding overall. In our joy of birdsong segment, Seth Benz of...

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 and mental health pairs together with their work with birds, and what finches can teach us.&nbs...

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, Colorado Holly Thomas, New Mexico Dave Edson, Massachusetts Jo, California Laurel, Mich...

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 of missing out, and how this may also influence our mental wellbeing in ...

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 our connections to the natural world, "talking to birds", thinking about our attent...

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 cancer patients in her local community, and can be found as a free download on the mindful birding ...

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 arts, yoga, nature journaling, mothing, and forest bathing. Check out artist Debra Ramsay an...

mindfulbirdingnetwork@gmail.com In this episode Holly & Holly continue to answer questions we’ve received about Mindful Birding in part II of Mindful Birding – Your Questions Answered. We also continue our chat with therapist Pamela Lowell, who turns the tables on us, and asks us some questions about how we met and started this podcast. In our Mindful Birding Nerding segment, Holly Thomas explores why birds might be the perfect gateway to mindfulness practice, and explores op...

mindfulbirdingnetwork@gmail.com In this episode, Holly and Holly spend time talking with trauma therapist, artist, and author Pamela Lowell, and how Mindful Birding and time spent connecting with birds and nature can be an effective therapeutic vehicle not only for human wellbeing, but also for the wellbeing of our planet. Find Pamela's book My Summer with Ospreys here Holly Merker offers a quote by the Tao te Ching Holly Thomas shares how a pause can bring us into the present...

mindfulbirdingnetwork@gmail.com In this episode of the Mindful Birding Podcast, Holly & Holly answer some of the questions received surrounding Mindful Birding. This episode is part one of our discussion, and we hope you enjoy. If you have questions or comments, please contact us at mindfulbirdingnetwork@gmail.com or through the Mindful Birding Network Holly Merker shares a segment from Dr. Alexander Skutch's writing on companionship and connections of the birds we encounter from ...

mindfulbirdingnetwork@gmail.com In this episode, Holly & Holly gather with their friends Brian Cunningham and John Shaust of the Nature Centered Podcast, a podcast from Wild Birds Unlimited. Brian and John share some perspectives on why bringing birds in closer benefits us, experiences and connections with birds from their own backyards, and why birds can be companions wherever we go. We touch on why the interest in bird feeding took off during the pandemic, how bird ...