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The Mindful Birding Podcast

The Mindful Birding Podcast

Written by: The Mindful Birding Podcast with Holly Merker & Holly Thomas
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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.

© 2026 The Mindful Birding Podcast
Alternative & Complementary Medicine Biological Sciences Hygiene & Healthy Living Science
Episodes
  • Episode 34: Being With: Mindful Birding & the Blurring of Self with Dr. Inbal Ravreby
    Jan 24 2026

    mindfulbirdingnetwork@gmail.com

    In this episode, Holly and Holly spend time chatting with Dr. Inbal Ravreby, a post-doctoral researcher at the Cornell University. We chat with Dr. Ravreby about how our experiences in nature and with birds can transport us into a different state of mind and shift our own self-perception. Something called "self-other" blurring, or self / non-self blurring. We talk about these fascinating research areas and how they might positively benefit our experiences while mindful birding.

    In our Joy of Birdsong segment, we listen to the soundscapes of coastal Delaware and the voices of many migratory birds stopping over on an August morning at the Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge on the east coast of the United States.

    Other resources mentioned in this episode include:

    Nature and Health Alliance

    Forest Therapy

    Mindful Birding

    Mindfulness Meditation

    Empathy and Compassion


    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

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    44 mins
  • Episode 33: Gratitude for Birds III
    Nov 26 2025

    mindfulbirdingnetwork@gmail.com

    We’re excited to share our third annual “Gratitude for Birds” special—an episode shaped by the voices and heartfelt reflections of our own community. Through voices from around the world, we explore how practicing gratitude can deepen our mindful birding experiences and support our overall feelings of wellbeing.

    We invited our listeners and members of the Mindful Birding Network to share gratitude for birds, and now, we’re delighted to pass the microphone to them.

    You will hear from Dave Edson, Karen , Krista Haenen, Arax Seghman, Ryan, Joy R., George Armistead, Freya McGregor, Susan J. Preston, Pam Zicca, Bruce, and Emily.

    Holly Thomas reads Mary Oliver’s poem Red Bird, and for our Joy of Birdsong segment, Holly Merker shares songs of an iconic red bird, the Northern Cardinal

    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

    Show More Show Less
    39 mins
  • Episode 32: Bringing Bird Soundscapes Indoors with Terra
    Oct 31 2025

    mindfulbirdingnetwork@gmail.com

    There are times when we cannot get outdoors but our wellbeing can surely benefit from the sounds of a natural landscape. Especially so when we can connect to the birds around us by immersing ourselves in the sounds of our own neighborhoods or yards.

    In this episode we sit down with Casey Halverson and Scott Whittle, creators and project leads for Terra, a monitoring device that brings live listening experiences of the outdoors, indoors, as they share how we can use Terra to help birds, and other wildlife, as well as ourselves.

    In our Joy of Birdsong segment, Chris Benesh returns to share a recording of a Stygian Owl, right in time for Halloween.

    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

    Show More Show Less
    36 mins
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