The Spark Bird Podcast

Jenn Lodi-Smith and Janet McNally
  • 5.0 (7)
  • NATURE
  • UPDATED SEMIWEEKLY

The Spark Bird Project is an ongoing community science initiative designed to gather, share, and study the stories of people's passion for birds. Research findings go directly back to community partners to inform their efforts towards inclusively sparking and sustaining birders. Learn more and share your story at www.spark-bird.org!

  1. 1D AGO

    Jamie Cunningham and The Biggest Week in American Birding

    In this episode of The Spark Bird Podcast, our hosts Jenn Lodi-Smith and Janet McNally welcome Jamie Cunningham, Education Director at Black Swamp Bird Observatory and birding and photography guide with Saberwing Nature Tours. Jamie shares how an unexpected Eastern Bluebird at a backyard nest box, followed by a life-changing visit to Magee Marsh during spring migration, sparked a deeper fascination with birds that shaped both her personal and professional life.   Links & Resources from This Episode 🌎 Learn more about Jamie's birding and photography travel experiences through Saberwing Nature Tours, where she leads birding and photography tours around the world! 🐦 Explore the work of the Black Swamp Bird Observatory the organization behind The Biggest Week in American Birding, the Ohio Young Birders Club, and year-round education and field programs. Stay connected through their Facebook page Black Swamp Bird Observatory for events and community updates, and follow @bsbobird on Instagram. 🎉 Find festival details, schedules, and registration information for The Biggest Week in American Birding wesbite, and follow them on Instagram @biggestweek and Facebook.  🌱 Discover programs and opportunities for young birders through the Ohio Young Birders Club, including field trips, events, and community resources. Follow the Ohio Young Birders community on Instagram @bsbobird for updates and opportunities.     Show Notes by Kayla Gajewski

    41 min

  2. 4D AGO

    Birds on the Niagara: Corina Newsome on Urban Landscapes and Creating Spaces

    In this second special Birds on the Niagara International Birding Festival feature, our hosts Jenn Lodi-Smith and Janet McNally welcome Corina Newsome, a conservation scientist at the National Wildlife Federation and the festival's keynote speaker. Corina's work is rooted in advancing urban biodiversity conservation with environmental justice. She challenges the idea that conservation only happens in remote places, reminding us that cities are unique landscapes full of wildlife and wonder waiting to be explored and protected. Links & Resources from This Episode 🐦 Follow Corina on Instagram and explore urban wildlife, birding, and environmental justice through Corina's lens. 💼 Connect with Corina on LinkedIn to learn more about her professional work in conservation science or to ask any questions you may have! 🎤 Attend her keynote address "Loving by Nature" at Birds on the Niagara International Birding Festival! To register and find full details, visit the Birds on the Niagara website events page.  🪶 Register at their website and come birding at the 2026 Birds on the Niagara Festival happening February 12th–16th.   Show Notes by Kayla Gajewski

    39 min

  3. JAN 30

    Birds on the Niagara: Marcus Rosten on Sky Dances and Wildways

    In this special Birds on the Niagara International Birding Festival feature, our hosts Jenn Lodi-Smith and Janet McNally welcome Marcus Rosten, a birder and conservationist whose journey into birding began with one unforgettable encounter. This episode celebrates birds as a gateway to conservation, community, and understanding our place within a larger global ecosystem. Highlighting why events like the Birds on the Niagara International Birding Festival matter now more than ever. In this photo, Marcus is holding the American Woodcock from his Spark Bird story he shared with us! Links & Resources from This Episode 🐦 Want to visit Buffalo and experience the Birds on the Niagara International Birding Festival? Learn more about the festival, events, birding along the Niagara region and come bird with us February 12th-16th! 🌿 To learn more about the Western New York Wildway, explore the conservation work Marcus discusses and how land protection keeps habitats connected, visit the Western New York Land Conservancy website.   Show Notes by Kayla Gajewski

    35 min

  4. JAN 16

    Inked Warblers and Belonging with Eva Matthews Lark

    In this episode of The Spark Bird Podcast, hosts Jenn Lodi-Smith and Janet McNally sit down with environmental educator Eva Matthews Lark to talk about how winter warblers became her spark birds during a difficult period in her life. Now memorialized in her bird-inspired tattoo, those birds helped her find comfort and a deeper connection to birding. Eva also discusses their work in environmental education, the importance of meeting people where they are through technology, and how inclusive, intentional birding spaces enable people to show up as their authentic selves, finding belonging both in nature and in community.   Links & Resources from This Episode 🐦 Check out Eva's quarterly mini-episode "Tail Feathers" on the Voices of Open Space podcast for more birding stories and tips from the field. 🌿 If you want to visit Hog Island Audubon Camp, she'll be leading the Let's Go Birding Together session! 🏞️ Birding in Boulder County? They have insider knowledge from working with Boulder County Parks & Open Space and are welcome to give tips for the best local birding adventures. 📸 Follow her adventures and connect on Instagram at @flyingmullet.

    43 min

  5. JAN 2

    Finding Wonder in the Dark with Leigh Ann Henion

    In this episode of the Spark Bird Podcast, hosts Jenn Lodi-Smith and Janet McNally talk with author and naturalist Leigh Ann Henion about what it means to really pay attention to the world around us, especially after dark.  Leigh Ann shares her early love of birds, names the Great Blue Heron as her spark bird, and reflects on how certain species have shaped her curiosity and connection to nature. They discuss her book Night Magic: Adventures Among Glowworms, Moon Gardens, and Other Marvels of the Dark, where she challenges the idea that darkness is something to fear or avoid, and instead, invites readers to take another look as a living habitat full of possibility. Resources & Links from This Episode 🌿 Visit Leigh Ann Henion's website to learn more about her writing and work. 📘 Connect with Leigh Ann on Facebook. 📸 Follow Leigh Ann on Instagram @leighannhenion. 📚 Learn more about Leigh Ann's books here, including Night Magic: Adventures Among Glowworms, Moon Gardens, and Other Marvels of the Dark, and Phenomenal: A Hesitant Adventurer's Search for Wonder in the Natural World 🌙 Explore Night Magic: Adventures Among Glowworms, Moon Gardens, and Other Marvels of the Dark and order the book here. 💡 Learn more about the Lights Out Program, an initiative to reduce light pollution and protect birds.   Show Notes by Kayla Gajewski

    44 min

  6. 12/19/2025

    From Banana Bird to Birder Brain with Kelly-Sue O'Connor

    In this episode of The Spark Bird Podcast, hosts Jenn Lodi-Smith and Janet McNally welcome Kelly Sue O'Connor, creator of the mental-health and birding project Birder Brain. After recently returning home to Nova Scotia from Ontario, Kelly Sue shares the unexpected spark that ignited her birding journey by rescuing a domestic canary, lovingly nicknamed Banana Bird, on a Toronto street. From that moment, birding became not just a hobby but a grounding practice.   Links & Resources from This Episode ⭐ Explore Kelly Sue's work on her website: 👉 https://www.birderbrain.org/ 📸 Follow Kelly Sue's personal birding journey on Instagram @birder_ks 🌿 Connect with the Birder Brain community on Instagram @birderbrain   Birding reminds us we're never truly alone. Just as birds flock together, we can reach out for connection when things feel heavy. Whether through birding, community, or conversation, reaching out is a sign of strength. 💬 If you ever feel isolated, know there's always someone to listen. The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is available anytime. For more information and resources, visit the 988 Lifeline website. 🍁 For listeners in Canada, compassionate support is available. You're part of a larger community that cares. For Canadian suicide prevention support and resources, visit the Government of Canada.   Show Notes by Kayla Gajewski

    43 min

  7. 12/05/2025

    From Oil Spill to Advocacy with Isabelle Groc

    In this episode of the Spark Bird Podcast, hosts Jenn Lodi-Smith and Janet McNally sit down with Isabelle Groc, a photojournalist, author, and documentary filmmaker based in Vancouver, British Columbia. Isabelle specializes in wildlife, marine ecosystems, and the relationships between people and the natural world. Isabelle shares how her lifelong passion for conservation began with a moment of devastation. Growing up in France, she learned about the massive Amoco Cadiz oil spill and saw the heartbreaking images of seabirds coated in oil. A spark that ignited her desire to tell stories, protect species, and shine a light on environmental crises. Links & Resources from This Episode 🌊 Learn more about Sandpipers' Last Supper on the film's website. 🎥 Watch the full documentary on CBC's Nature of Things YouTube channel. 📷 Explore Isabelle's photography and projects on her website. 📚 Browse her books, including A Hummingbird on My Balcony here. 🛒 Order A Hummingbird on My Balcony directly from Orca Book Publishers. 📸 Follow Isabelle on Instagram. 💼 Connect with her on LinkedIn.     Show Notes by Kayla Gajewski

    42 min

  8. 11/21/2025

    Ivan Phillipsen's Flight Path to Wonder

    In this episode of The Spark Bird Podcast, hosts Jenn Lodi-Smith and Janet McNally welcome Ivan Phillipsen, creator and host of The Science of Birds podcast and co-owner of Wild Latitudes worldwide nature tours. Ivan shares how a seemingly ordinary moment with his friend led him to his spark bird, the California Towhee. Ivan also shares his journey shifting from academia to science communication, the joy of returning to a more holistic view of the natural world, and the importance of scientific literacy in an age of misinformation.   Links & Resources from This Episode 🐦 Explore more of Ivan's work and listen to his podcast on The Science of Birds website. 🌍 Discover global birding adventures by visiting Wild Latitudes, the tour company Ivan co-owns. 🎧 Revisit the episode "How to Find Birds" from The Science of Birds, which they discussed in this week's episode. 🔍 Build your field ID skills with Ivan's episode, "How to Identify Birds in the Field." 📸 Follow Ivan on Instagram for bird science, naturalist insights, and behind-the-scenes snapshots on his work. ▶️ Watch more from The Science of Birds on Ivan's YouTube channel.   Show Notes by Kayla Gajewski

    39 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
7 Ratings

About

The Spark Bird Project is an ongoing community science initiative designed to gather, share, and study the stories of people's passion for birds. Research findings go directly back to community partners to inform their efforts towards inclusively sparking and sustaining birders. Learn more and share your story at www.spark-bird.org!

Information

  • Creator
    Jenn Lodi-Smith and Janet McNally
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    33
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025
  • Show Website
    The Spark Bird Podcast

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