The Mindful Birding Podcast

The Mindful Birding Podcast with Holly Merker & Holly Thomas

The Mindful Birding Podcast – Cultivating the health benefits and joy of Mindful Birding

Join co-hosts Holly Merker and Holly Thomas, along with other voices of the Mindful Birding Network and beyond, as we explore topics surrounding the practice of Mindful Birding.
Episodes will delve into this style of observation, which pairs together elements of mindfulness and birding, amplifying the personal wellness benefits of both. Here, you’ll find episodes featuring insights into Mindful Birding from people around the globe, science segments, author interviews, tips for enhancing your Mindful Birding practice, plus a spotlight on the joy of birdsong.

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Top 10 The Mindful Birding Podcast Episodes

Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best The Mindful Birding Podcast episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to The Mindful Birding Podcast for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite The Mindful Birding Podcast episode by adding your comments to the episode page.

Episode 15: Hope, Healing, and Mindful Birding with Therapist Pamela Lowell

The Mindful Birding Podcast

05/20/24 • 44 min

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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 moment, and how this can help guide us in Mindful Birding and in life. In this segment, Holly quotes Tara Brach's - The Sacred Pause, and reads the poem called "The Clearing" by by Martha Postlethwaite, from her book Addiction and Recovery: A spiritual pilgrimage
In our Joy of Birdsong segment, Holly Thomas shares the song of the Black-chinned Sparrow she encounters in New Mexico.

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

Episode 14: Mindful Birding - Your Questions Answered Part I

The Mindful Birding Podcast

04/25/24 • 35 min

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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 [email protected] 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 the book The Life of the Hummingbird
In this segment, we hear an audio recording of Skutch's beloved Bicolored Antbird created by birder and naturalist Jonathan Irons
In the Mindful Birding Nerding segment, Holly Thomas explores two studies surrounding the impact of nature on healing, including Dr. Roger Ulrich's landmark study looking at how a view through a window impacts recovery for hospitalized patients recovering from surgery, and the psycho-evolutionary theory, which demonstrates how the natural world impacts our feelings of wellbeing.
For the Joy of Birdsong segment, we Hollys share some audio postcards from our recent travels around the US.
Here you will hear songs and sounds from the following birds:
Pacific Wren, Cassin's Sparrow, Black-capped Vireo, and Golden-cheeked Warbler.
Locations of recordings include:
Birch Bay State Park, South Llano River State Park, Pedernales Falls State Park

Episode 3: Mindful Birding - Perspectives and Practices

The Mindful Birding Podcast

04/26/23 • 31 min

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In this episode, Mindful Birding Network members Aaric Eisenstein, Roniq Bartanen and Matthew Young, along with co-hosts Holly Thomas and Holly Merker, all provide tips, insights, and perspectives, that demonstrate how individualized the practice of Mindful Birding can be.
Let your mind escape while listening to Wendell Berry’s “The Peace of Wild Things” and reflect on how nature and birds bring you to a calmer headspace.

In our Mindful Birding Nerding science segment, Dr. Holly Thomas summarizes a recent study that suggests that Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction (MBSR) can have the same effect as a well-known pharmaceutical in the SSRI class, posing the question of whether or not Mindful Birding might have those same beneficial effects.
Recordist Chris Benesh transports us to Australia for our Joy of Birdsong spotlight, as he shares the echoing and ethereal sounds of a Pied Butcherbird singing at dawn.

Episode 20: Mindful Birding for Mental Health & Self-compassion: Good birds, good birders and FOMO

The Mindful Birding Podcast

10/21/24 • 40 min

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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 the context of birding. Link to Bird Diva blog on Fomo

In the Mindful Birding Nerding science segment, Holly Thomas shares how self-compassion can enhance our experiences with birds.
Links: Dr. Kristin Neff

Balanced Minds : Comparison vs Compassion

Thich Nhat Hahn’s writing provides prompts on how to replace negative energy and mindful birding could be a good way to address that negative energy if it surfaces for us.

Reading suggestions:

Dawn Songs edited by Jamie K. Reaser and J. Drew Lanham

Mary Oliver’s Owl’s And Other Fantasies

J.Drew Lanham’s Sparrow Envy

The Joy of Birdsong segment features birds recorded from Acadia National Park’s Schoodic Peninsula

Episode 21: Gratitude for Birds II

The Mindful Birding Podcast

11/23/24 • 46 min

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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, Michigan

Holly Merker, Pennsylvania

Julie, Maryland

Susan Preston, New Mexico

Jack Bruce, Georgia

Amanda Booher, South Dakota

Lindsay McNamara, New Jersey

Anne, Pennsylvania

Poem by Mary Oliver: “With Thanks to the Field Sparrow”

In the Mindful Birding Nerding segment: Holly Thomas explores the science of gratitude and joy

Spending Money on Others Promotes Happiness https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.1150952

A neural link between generosity and happiness

https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms15964

In the Joy of Birdsong segment, Chris Benesh is back with the song of a Horned Lark recorded in Oaxaca, Mexico

Episode 8 : Self-sustainability & Nature with Sophie Crossley

The Mindful Birding Podcast

09/25/23 • 33 min

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In this episode, Holly & Holly discuss ideas surrounding self-sustainability,through birds and nature with author Sophie Crossley, who works for Work in Mind a UK based organization dedicated to the connection between healthy buildings and workplace wellbeing, where there’s a strong focus on biophilic design or incorporating elements of nature into our work and living spaces for the wellness benefits.

In our Mindful Birding Nerding segment, Holly Thomas explores the book Blue Mind, by Wallace J. Nichols, and some of the take-aways from the book, and why and how we can benefit from spending time around water.

Holly Thomas shares a quote by Alan Watts from his book The Way of Zen.

Chris Benesh shares a soundscape of the beautiful song of Hermit Thrush, recorded in California in the Joy of Birdsong segment. https://fieldguides.com/guides/chris-benesh/
Other links:
Forest Therapy
Association of Nature and Forest Therapy
Forest Therapy Hub
BBC's Suprising Benefits of Blue Spaces

Episode 7: Birding Through Grief and Loss

The Mindful Birding Podcast

08/23/23 • 24 min

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This episode of the Mindful Birding Podcast is dedicated in loving memory of our friend Tom Johnson.
In this episode, we explore how birds and birding play an important part in the grieving process that we all experience in our lives.
We hear personal stories from Dr. Ed Pullen, creator and host of the Bird Banter Podcast, as he shares how birding was a helpful distraction in finding respite in coping with care-taking and deep loss.
Liz Pettit shares a story of how birds and birding helps in healing of her heart, after experiencing the loss of her son.
Her book Unimaginable is providing hope and comfort to many people.
The American Poet Mary Oliver's reflective poem
Starlings in Winter offers hope and inspires us to seek wonder in both the ordinary and the impossible. Holly Merker reflects on the spirituality and significance particular birds play after loss, particularly the Northern Cardinal.
Holly Thomas guides us through a reflective meditation for those we love, and offers tribute to a beloved friend of both of your co-hosts, as we honor the memory of extraordinary birder and person, Tom Johnson.
In our Joy of Birding segment with Chris Benesh, Chris reflects on how birds have soothed him amidst grief, especially in the loss of dear friend and colleague, Tom Johnson, AKA "The Albatross". Chris shares an intriguing and moving recording of Southern Royal Albatrosses made in Campbell Island of New Zealand.

Episode 5: Mindful Birding is for Everyone

The Mindful Birding Podcast

06/18/23 • 22 min

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In this episode, we share why Mindful Birding is truly for everyone, and how Mindful Birding is gaining a wider awareness as a style of birding within the birding community, as larger birding festivals give a nod by featuring programming and offering Keynotes surrounding this style of birding.

Holly Thomas explores the wide welcome Mindful Birding offers for all people, and how to bring mindfulness into any birding style that you love, or bring mindfulness to a new style of birding that you would like to explore.

Holly Merker chats with Bridget Butler, AKA the BirdDiva, about their recent experiences at The Biggest Week in American Birding festival, and how Mindful Birding played a role in both the programming and in birding styles at this enormously popular event.

In our Mindful Birding Nerding science segment, Holly Thomas explains “Doc Log” as a form of medicine and covers the “Doses of Neighborhood Nature: The Benefits of Health of Living with Nature” and what health benefits we are receiving from time in nature, and what we miss when we don’t have that time.

Is Winnie the Pooh a Mindful Birder? Holly Merker reads an excerpt from the book “The Tao of Pooh: The principles of Taoism demonstrated by Winnie-the Pooh” by Benjamin Hoff, that gives you the answer.

Chris Benesh takes us to Ulva Island, New Zealand to experience the sounds of the New Zealand Bellbird as it transports you back in time.
Other links from this episode:
The Art of Mindful Birdwatching by Claire Thompson
Southeast Arizona Birding Festival
Freya McGregor
Article: Why Birds and Their Songs are Good for Our Mental Health by R. Sima

Episode 12: Matching Heartbeats: Mindful Birding, Heart Health, & Hummingbirds

The Mindful Birding Podcast

02/29/24 • 26 min

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In this episode of the Mindful Birding Podcast, Holly & Holly share why birds are truly heart healthy, both in the way they fill our hearts with joy and love, but also with cardiac fitness in mind.
How can wild birds help make our hearts stronger? Our connections to other people and animals can sometimes synch our biorhythms, and even our heartbeats, and we wonder if this also happens when we connect with the wild birds around us.

We spotlight the bird with the biggest heart, and Holly Merker shares a guided hummingbird visualization adapted from the book Ornitherapy

The poet Julia Travers generously shared some of her writing with us, and she’ll read a beautiful piece of her work honoring birds in this episode.

In the Mindful Birding Nerding Science Segment, Holly Thomas delves into some of the research surrounding green spaces and cardiac health and specifically the effect of nature prescriptions on cardiometabolic health in particular

In the Joy of Birdsong, Holly Thomas brings us with her as she enjoys the beautiful song of the Crissal Thrasher in her backyard in New Mexico

Other references mentioned:
Joseph Campbell
Supercommunicators by Charles Duhigg
Music and Heartbeat
Two Hearts Beat as One - Dogs and their Humans

Episode 17 Mindful Birding: Sit Spots, Festivals, & Retreats

The Mindful Birding Podcast

07/30/24 • 41 min

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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 and her show Flying Colors at the Hunterdon Art Museum in New Jersey, and our collaborative event pairing Debra’s work with Mindful Birding

FAQ

How many episodes does The Mindful Birding Podcast have?

The Mindful Birding Podcast currently has 25 episodes available.

What topics does The Mindful Birding Podcast cover?

The podcast is about Health & Fitness, Mental Health, Wellness, Nature, Podcasts, Science, Birding and Mindfulness.

What is the most popular episode on The Mindful Birding Podcast?

The episode title 'Episode 16: Mindful Birding - Your Questions Answered Part II' is the most popular.

What is the average episode length on The Mindful Birding Podcast?

The average episode length on The Mindful Birding Podcast is 36 minutes.

How often are episodes of The Mindful Birding Podcast released?

Episodes of The Mindful Birding Podcast are typically released every 32 days, 2 hours.

When was the first episode of The Mindful Birding Podcast?

The first episode of The Mindful Birding Podcast was released on Mar 28, 2023.

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The Mindful Birding Podcast

The Mindful Birding Podcast with Holly Merker & Holly Thomas

Top 10 The Mindful Birding Podcast Episodes

FAQ

How many episodes does The Mindful Birding Podcast have?

What topics does The Mindful Birding Podcast cover?

What is the most popular episode on The Mindful Birding Podcast?

What is the average episode length on The Mindful Birding Podcast?

How often are episodes of The Mindful Birding Podcast released?

When was the first episode of The Mindful Birding Podcast?

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