The Mindful Birding Podcast

The Mindful Birding Podcast with Holly Merker & Holly Thomas
The Mindful Birding Podcast

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. 

  1. FEB 21

    Episode 24 : Leaning into Joy through Mindful Birding

    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...

    35 min

  2. JAN 18

    Episode 23: Accessible Mindful Birding with Freya McGregor

    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...

    47 min

  3. 2024-12-10

    Episode 22 : Why Finches are Good for Us with Lillian Stokes and Matthew Young

    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...

    42 min

  4. 2024-11-23

    Episode 21: Gratitude for Birds II

    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...

    46 min

  5. 2024-10-21

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

    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 ...

    41 min

  6. 2024-09-26

    Episode 19: Bird Language & Mindful Birding with Dan Gardoqui

    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...

    42 min

  7. 2024-08-28

    Episode 18: The Mindful Birding Project with Dr. Barbara Patterson

    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 ...

    31 min

  8. 2024-07-30

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

    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...

    42 min
See All (24)

About

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. 

Information

  • Creator
    The Mindful Birding Podcast with Holly Merker & Holly Thomas
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2025
  • Episodes
    24
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025 The Mindful Birding Podcast
  • Show Website
    The Mindful Birding Podcast

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