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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 open monitoring and focused attention, and how they may improve wellbeing.

Holly Thomas reads a quote from Carl Safina's newest book Alfie and Me

We’re happy to have Chris Benesh sharing an encounter he had along the Sabinal River in the Hill Country of central Texas in late April for this installment of the Joy of Birdsong. Within the soundscape, you can hear up to 10 species,

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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

Send us a Text Message.

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

Send us a Text Message.

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 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

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