This episode of the Birds & Nerds podcast was recorded live on stage at SXSW 2026 in Austin, featuring Dr. Elizabeth Gray, CEO of the National Audubon Society, and podcast host and journalist Ramona Schindelheim. This conversation explores how birds serve as vital indicators of planetary health, powerful drivers of conservation, and sources of personal wellbeing, creativity, and community. National Audubon Society CEO Dr. Elizabeth Gray explains that birds are often the first species to disappear from degraded habitats and the first to return when areas are restored, making them key signals of environmental change and climate impacts across the Americas.

Also during the live taping at SXSW 2026, host Ramona Schindelheim also explores bird intelligence and social behavior—from cooperative formations in migrating geese to the grudges held by crows—using these behaviors as metaphors for leadership and resilience. They connect birdwatching to mental health, citing research that observing birds increases brain matter in regions related to attention and perception and can lower stress, with universities now testing bird-focused interventions for older adults with cognitive issues.

Other highlights:
🐦 There are more than 96 million birders in the U.S. over the age of 16 and why birding is becoming more popular with people of all ages.
🐦 Efforts by the National Audubon Society to halt and reverse declines in bird populations in the Americas through habitat protection and restoration.
🐦 How individuals can support birds by creating bird‑friendly yards and supporting conservation groups like Audubon.
🐦 Birds inspire music, art, and literature.
🐦 Meet Austin's most famous bird species.

This episode is sure to entertain and inspire! What it here or download it wherever you get your podcasts!

Visit the National Audubon Society website: https://www.audubon.org/

Visit the Birds & Nerds website and subscribe to notifications: https://www.birdsandnerdspodcast.com/

Who am I? I am an award-winning journalist and storyteller curious about everything! Follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ramonaschindelheim/

Bestselling author Amy Tan says ten years ago she was so overwhelmed with despair at the state of the world, she turned to the natural beauty in her own backyard — specifically birds — in search of hope. Her book The Backyard Bird Chronicles is a beautiful collection of sketches and reflections on that personal journey. In this episode of the Birds & Nerds podcast hosted by award-winning journalist Ramona Schindelheim, Tan shares her creative journey, exploring the transformative power of writing and the influence of her family relationships. She discusses how despair led her to find hope through nature and birdwatching, using birds as a metaphor for life and emotional understanding. Tan emphasizes the importance of compassion and conservation, encouraging listeners to connect with the natural world and discover the joy of observing birds.

Learn more about Amy Tan at https://amytan.net/

🐦Listen now on all podcast platforms.

Watch all episodeson the Birds & Nerds YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@BirdsAndNerdsPodcast

Visit the Birds & Nerds website and subscribe to notifications: https://www.birdsandnerdspodcast.com/

Who am I? I am an award-winning journalist and storyteller curious about everything! Follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ramonaschindelheim/

A specific song can be our own powerful time machine — reminding us of a past experience — good or bad. And it can also help us make sense of the current world around us. In this episode of the Birds & Nerds podcast, host Ramona Schindelheim is joined by the always delightful Eric Alper — a music publicist and industry expert — who has spent his career exploring what it takes to create that magic through the right combination of notes and lyrics.

Musicians often take their inspiration from birds, both figuratively and literally — think Blackbird, Fly Like and Eagle, When Doves Cry, and so many songs that are a part of our music history. And the music we hear in nature — birdsong — can reduce stress and improve our overall well being. Research shows it can also improve our memories, so being called a "bird brain" is not necessarily an insult.

Eric is passionate about music and the joy it brings to people. He shares his own journey in the music industry, discussing the emotional connections people have with certain songs — good and bad — and the generational shifts in music appreciation. Do we like the same music as our parents? Do our kids like the same music we do? Has it changed in 50 years?

Listen now on all podcast platforms. Watch here on the Birds & Nerds YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/@BirdsAndNerdsPodcast

Follow Eric Alper on social media at @ThatEricAlper. You'll be glad you did!

Learn more about him at www.thatericalper.com Visit the Birds & Nerds website and subscribe to notifications: https://www.birdsandnerdspodcast.com/

Who am I? I am an award-winning journalist and storyteller curious about everything! Follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ramonaschindelheim/

Have you ever fallen in love with a city hours after you first stepped off the plane? Did it make you want to pack your bags and move there, even if it was in another country? That happened to Mike Huckman, former journalist and now principal of life sciences consulting company Huckman Group. In this episode of the Birds & Nerds podcast, Mike and journalist and host Ramona Schindelheim discuss what attracted him to San Miguel de Allende, a small town about three-and-half hours from Mexico City with a thriving expat community.

If you're thinking about taking flight yourself, Mike shares how he made the move from the U.S. to Mexico and the secret weapon for making it work. Part of the attraction of San Miguel de Allende is the spectacular nature that surrounds it, so, of course, we talk about the birds of Mexico, some of them familiar and some new.

Learn more about Mike here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-huckman-71b21412/

Learn more about Huckman Group here: https://www.huckmangroup.com/

Visit the Birds & Nerds website and subscribe to notifications: https://www.birdsandnerdspodcast.com/

Who am I? I am an award-winning journalist and storyteller curious about everything! Follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ramonaschindelheim/

Did you know that birds are living dinosaurs? 66 million years ago, a huge asteroid struck Earth, triggering earthquakes, tsunamis, and global wildfires, plunging the planet into darkness, and wiping out most species, including non-bird dinosaurs.

In this episode of Birds & Nerds, we're asking why did birds survive the KPG impact and what else can we learn from this catastrophic event. Paleontologist Roger Benson of the American Museum of Natural History is the lead curator of the museum's new exhibit IMPACT: The End of the Age of Dinosaurs. He joins me to talk asteroids, dinosaurs, and, of course, birds, including the inaccessible island rail, penguins, pelicans, and more.

Learn more about the exhibit: https://www.amnh.org/

Visit the Birds & Nerds website and subscribe to notifications: https://www.birdsandnerdspodcast.com/

Who am I? I am an award-winning journalist and storyteller curious about everything!

Follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ramonaschindelheim/

If you love birds, you're going to love this episode of the Birds & Nerds podcast. National Audubon Society CEO Elizabeth Gray joins host Ramona Schindelheim in a discussion about what's behind the boom in popularity of birdwatching in the United States — 96 million people self-identify as bird lovers!

They also look at the alarming decline of bird populations in North America and what Audubon is doing to reverse it. Elizabeth shares how everyone be a part of the effort to protect birds and their natural habitats, including through community science projects like the upcoming Christmas Bird Count, which starts on December 14.

You can also help the effort financially by becoming a member of the National Audubon Society!

You can watch the episode on our YouTube channel here: Birds & Nerds Podcast

Learn more about the National Audubon Society and join here: https://www.audubon.org/

Visit the Birds & Nerds website and subscribe to notifications: https://www.birdsandnerdspodcast.com/

Learn more about Ramona Schindelheim, award-winning journalist and storyteller curious about everything, by following her on LinkedIn: Ramona Schindelheim

America is in the midst of a loneliness crisis. People of all ages and socioeconomic backgrounds are feeling isolated, invisible, and insignificant. Social disconnection and digital isolation are rampant. In addition to taking a toll on us mentally and emotionally, it is hurting us physically and economically. Studies show stress can decrease our longevity and can manifest in physical symptoms, which can lead to more trips to the doctor.

In this conversation, I am joined by Jean Accius, president & CEO of CHC: Creating Healthier Communities, to explore the emotional, mental, and physical state of health in the United States. It is all connected and we're looking at ways to significantly improve the feeling of community and connections to address this crisis.

Nature can aid the healing. Building connections can alleviate loneliness. Jean and I discuss the therapeutic benefits of nature and community engagement, particularly through shared interests such as birdwatching. Jean shares that he just recently started pausing to observe birds on his walks and runs and how that has changed his perspective about several things. I share how watching an eagle nest cam connected me to a new community during COVID, one that continues to thrive today.

You can watch the episode on our YouTube channel here: Birds & Nerds Podcast

Watch now for these and more stories. Learn more about CHC: Creating Healthier Communities: https://chcimpact.org/

Visit the Birds & Nerds website and subscribe to notifications: https://www.birdsandnerdspodcast.com/

Who am I? I am an award-winning journalist and storyteller curious about everything! Follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ramonaschindelheim/

BONUS: Here is the link to the eagle nest camera: https://www.friendsofbigbearvalley.org/eagles/

A pencil is just a pencil… unless it's a Blackwing. Welcome to the Birds & Nerds podcast. In each episode, we explore a random topic — today, we're all in on the best pencil EVER made — and, as always, we find the connection to birds.

The legendary Blackwing 602 pencil was first manufactured in the 1930s and was favored by the likes of John Steinbeck, Chuck Jones, Steven Sondheim, Quincy Jones and so many more writers, musicians, and artists.

A broken piece of machinery brought a half-century of production to a halt until 15 years ago when California Cedar Products revived the brand, recreating the celebrated tactile feel of its specially-formulated graphite against paper, and spawning a new generation of Blackwing devotees.

The incense cedar wood used to make the Blackwing pencils is the product of sustainable forestry in California and Oregon, which promotes conservation, biodiversity, and supports birds in their crucial role in our ecosystem.

Blackwing CEO Charles Berolzheimer joins me to discuss his lifetime connections to birds and how his family has always celebrated and protected our feathered friends. He talks about his favorite bird, the Osprey. Charles also explains how the simple act of using a pencil and paper can help people find balance in a fast-paced digital world, and how his Blackwing Foundation is funding and developing K-12 music and arts education programs and introducing that new generation to the joys of creating.

In this episode, you'll learn a lot about the history of the Blackwing pencil, pencil making in general, conservation, and birds. You'll also hear a couple of really good haikus inspired by birds and the Blackwing.

Devotion to a pencil may seem a bit much, but as a decades-long fan myself I guarantee that once you try the Blackwing you will understand.

You can watch this episode on our YouTube channel: Birds & Nerds Podcast

https://blackwing602.com/

https://blackwingfoundation.org

Visit the Birds & Nerds website and subscribe to notifications: https://www.birdsandnerdspodcast.com/

Who am I? I am an award-winning journalist and storyteller curious about everything!

Follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ramonaschindelheim/