Bring Birds Back

Ornithologist, poet and MacArthur Fellow, Dr. J. Drew Lanham, speaks with host Billy Almon in our season 7 finale! The two begin by talking about  Drew’s humble beginnings and southern influence from his grandmother’s teachings, and how he became a self-taught birder. Later, they discuss his latest book, “Joy is the Justice We Give Ourselves,” and talk about the connection between his poetic roots and his identity as a Black man with a deep love for birds and the wilderness. You won’t want to miss this special episode.  Listen now.Want more Bring Birds Back? Follow us on your favorite podcast app and on Instagram @BringBirdsBack! For more about BirdNote, sign up for our weekly newsletter. And for ad-free listening and other perks, sign up for BirdNote+ here.For more information about the From Love to Action campaign, episode transcript and other resources from this episode, visit BirdNote.org and search for this episode.BirdNote is a nonprofit. Your tax-deductible gift makes these shows possible.Bring Birds Back Season 7 is sponsored by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Bird Academy.

What’s a climate crisis without acknowledgment of an emergency? In conversation with guests Dr. Rose Abramoff and Dr. Mustafa Santiago Ali, host Anika Hazra discusses the ever-evolving battle for a healthy world from the front lines to legislation. Rose, a climate scientist turned activist, shares her viral story about a protest that led to her termination at work. And Mustafa, a leading activist, strategist and policymaker, brings decades of experience about fighting back behind government lines and beyond, from the EPA to the NWF. Both, from two different generations, have one uniting goal and offer critical advice and support. Press play!Want more Bring Birds Back? Follow us on your favorite podcast app and on Instagram @BringBirdsBack! For more about BirdNote, sign up for our weekly newsletter. And for ad-free listening and other perks, sign up for BirdNote+ here.For more information about the From Love to Action campaign, episode transcript and other resources from this episode, visit BirdNote.org and search for this episode.BirdNote is a nonprofit. Your tax-deductible gift makes these shows possible.Bring Birds Back Season 7 is sponsored by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Bird Academy.

Host Anika Hazra speaks with tenured professor and leading voice in neuroscience, Dr. Erich Jarvis! Erich, who has spent decades researching the neural biological connections between mammals and birds, shares his research that indicates some birds are ancestrally connected to humans through speech! Detailing his work with song-learning birds and humans, he explains the importance of these discoveries,   especially regarding speech deficits and disorders. Later, as a longtime NIH partner, Erich gets honest about the setbacks and challenges he and his colleagues are facing. Press play on this important episode today!Want more Bring Birds Back? Follow us on your favorite podcast app and on Instagram @BringBirdsBack! For more about BirdNote, sign up for our weekly newsletter. And for ad-free listening and other perks, sign up for BirdNote+ here.For more information about the From Love to Action campaign, episode transcript and other resources from this episode, visit BirdNote.org and search for this episode.BirdNote is a nonprofit. Your tax-deductible gift makes these shows possible.Bring Birds Back Season 7 is sponsored by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Bird Academy.

Host Billy Almon speaks with Indigenous water scientist, legal scholar and advocate Dr. Kelsey Leonard. Kelsey incorporates both her Indigenous knowledge and practices along with her western science studies to advocate for a better world for us all. From the importance of birds to Indigenous cultures, the critical role water plays in the health of land, and her fight not only for the rights of rivers but also the legal need for Earth law, there’s so much here to learn!Want more Bring Birds Back? Follow us on your favorite podcast app and on Instagram @BringBirdsBack! For more about BirdNote, sign up for our weekly newsletter. And for ad-free listening and other perks, sign up for BirdNote+ here.For more information about the From Love to Action campaign, episode transcript and other resources from this episode, visit BirdNote.org and search for this episode.BirdNote is a nonprofit. Your tax-deductible gift makes these shows possible.Bring Birds Back Season 7 is sponsored by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Bird Academy.

Meet your co-host, Anika Hazra! Anika is a former restoration ecologist turned science communicator, and in this episode, she’s teaching us all about her past work life. Restoration ecology is a less popular method of conservation that holds a lot of potential and Anika walks us through restoration 101. Then, she speaks with behavioral and forest ecologist, Dr. Mario Pesendorfer. Mario shares his work following the unique relationship between seed dispersal birds like corvids and successfully revitalized forests. Jays and crows step into the limelight in this episode. Grab your snacks and tune in!Want more Bring Birds Back? Follow us on your favorite podcast app and on Instagram @BringBirdsBack! For more about BirdNote, sign up for our weekly newsletter. And for ad-free listening and other perks, sign up for BirdNote+ here.For more information about the From Love to Action campaign, episode transcript and other resources from this episode, visit BirdNote.org and search for this episode.BirdNote is a nonprofit. Your tax-deductible gift makes these shows possible.Bring Birds Back Season 7 is sponsored by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Bird Academy.

On this season premiere episode, meet your new co-host, Billy Almon! Billy is an astrobiofuturist (which you’ll hear more about later), and one of his passions and expertise is in the art of biomimicry. Billy lays out the history of this ancient process, how it's been instrumental in connecting birds to technology, and how he uses it in his own work. Later, he’ll speak with writer, activist and social justice facilitator adrienne maree brown! adrienne walks us through the unique way she utilizes biomimicry, as explained in their book, Emergent Strategy: Shaping Change, Changing Worlds. Diving deeper into the power of fractals as a biomimetic example, we explore its connection to the natural world and how it can guide us through pivotal life upheavals. You won’t want to miss this one!Want more Bring Birds Back? Follow us on your favorite podcast app and on Instagram @BringBirdsBack! For more about BirdNote, sign up for our weekly newsletter. And for ad-free listening and other perks, sign up for BirdNote+ here.For more information about the From Love to Action campaign, episode transcript and other resources from this episode, visit BirdNote.org and search for this episode.BirdNote is a nonprofit. Your tax-deductible gift makes these shows possible.Bring Birds Back Season 7 is sponsored by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Bird Academy.

Bring Birds Back, is back... and we’ve got two new co-hosts, Billy Almon and Anika Hazra! They'll be sharing their own personal knowledge and passions with you,  while also interviewing world-renowned faves like J. Drew Lanham, adrienne maree brown, and Dr. Mustafa Santiago Ali – to name a few. We’re talking everything from the importance of  songbirds, parrots and hummingbirds to human memory, crows and blue jays to ecological restoration, and scientists to the world today. You’ll learn about Indigenous water justice, biomimicry, even the power of radical joy – and how it all relates to our feathered friends in the sky. Join us every week, starting Wednesday July 30th!Want more? Stay up to date by subscribing to our show and following us on Instagram @BringBirdsBack! For more about BirdNote, sign up for our weekly newsletter. And for ad-free listening and other perks, sign up for BirdNote+ here.Learn how you can get involved in our From Love to Action campaign when you visit BirdNote.org!BirdNote is a nonprofit. Your tax-deductible gift makes these shows possible.Bring Birds Back Season 7 is sponsored by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Bird Academy.

Avian flu, better known as bird flu, has been in news headlines all summer of 2024. Still, many questions remain for the general public. What is it? What’s causing it? How is it spreading? And how serious should we be taking this public health matter? Our co-hosts Purbita Saha and Deja Perkins sit with leading scientists, Director of Molecular Biology Dr. Andy Ramey from the USGS Alaska Science Center, and molecular virologist at Tufts University, Dr. Wendy Puryear. Tune in. Share with a friend. And don’t fret, our only goal is to leave you like an owl– very sharp, very wise.To learn more about our guests and their work or to view this episode’s transcript and other resources, visit BirdNote.org.Want more Bring Birds Back? Subscribe to our show and follow us on Instagram! For more about BirdNote, sign up for our weekly newsletter. And for ad-free listening and other perks, sign up for BirdNote+ here.BirdNote is a nonprofit. Your tax-deductible gift makes these shows possible.Bring Birds Back Season 6 is sponsored by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the American Bird Conservancy.

Since 1976, Project Feederwatch has been through many changes and iterations. But what has remained is the dedication to collecting data that undeniably improves bird science. In this episode, host Deja Perkins speaks with Emma Greig, U.S. Project Lead for Feederwatch, about what this data has uncovered over the years. Deja also speaks with wildlife researcher Ashley Dayer, and gets into the specifics about all the great things bird feeding does for you – and despite some criticisms, great things it does for the birds, too!To learn more about our guests and their work or to view this episode’s transcript and other resources, visit BirdNote.org.Want more Bring Birds Back? Subscribe to our show and follow us on Instagram! For more about BirdNote, sign up for our weekly newsletter. And for ad-free listening and other perks, sign up for BirdNote+ here.BirdNote is a nonprofit. Your tax-deductible gift makes these shows possible.Bring Birds Back Season 6 is sponsored by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the American Bird Conservancy.

In 2023, over 120 contributors published a study in the scientific journal,  Ornithological Applications, about a long history of exclusion Latin American and Caribbean scientists have faced. In the world of ornithology, the Global North is king – but only because they’ve made it that way. Host, Purbita Saha, speaks with two of the study’s leading researchers, Dr. Ernesto Ruelas Inzunza and Dr. Kristina Cockle, about the ways research from the Global South has been undermined, and how regional bias, racial discrimination, and socioeconomic differences have played a role. They discuss how this lack of acknowledgment is harming conservation efforts for birds and – teach us a thing or two about our feathered friends over in the Tropics! To learn more about our guests and their work or to view this episode’s transcript and other resources, visit BirdNote.org.Want more Bring Birds Back? Subscribe to our show and follow us on Instagram! For more about BirdNote, sign up for our weekly newsletter. And for ad-free listening and other perks, sign up for BirdNote+ here.BirdNote is a nonprofit. Your tax-deductible gift makes these shows possible.Bring Birds Back Season 6 is sponsored by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the American Bird Conservancy.*A previous version of this episode included closing commentary from a Neotropical scientist who was not a contributor to the highlighted scientific journal paper. Their comments have been removed from the episode.

On October 5, 2023, thousands of migrating songbirds died after crashing into the McCormick Place Convention Center in downtown Chicago and surrounding buildings. Co-host Deja Perkins will speak with Douglas Stotz, a conservation ecologist at the Chicago-based Field Museum about that deadly night. She’ll also talk with Chicago Bird Alliance’s Judy Pollock about what has transpired in the months since. And co-host Purbita Saha takes us to New York’s Jacob Javits Convention Center, once known for frequent window strikes but now is a safe haven for all birds – migrating and local.To learn more about our guests and their work or to view this episode’s transcript and other resources, visit BirdNote.org.Want more Bring Birds Back? Subscribe to our show and follow us on Instagram! For more about BirdNote, sign up for our weekly newsletter. And for ad-free listening and other perks, sign up for BirdNote+ here.BirdNote is a nonprofit. Your tax-deductible gift makes these shows possible.Bring Birds Back Season 6 is sponsored by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the American Bird Conservancy.

Historically, birding spaces aren’t known to show diverse faces, races and even genders. But for the Chicago BIPOC Birders group, co-founder Daniela Herrera proves that what has always been isn’t always right. In this episode, Herrera shares with our host Deja Perkins why spaces for Black and brown birders are important to have for both safety and community-building. The group’s dynamic and inclusive approach to birding, as well as their grassroots-based structure is not only impressive but inspiring. To learn more about our guests and their work or to view this episode’s transcript and other resources, visit BirdNote.org.Want more Bring Birds Back? Subscribe to our show and follow us on Instagram! For more about BirdNote, sign up for our weekly newsletter. And for ad-free listening and other perks, sign up for BirdNote+ here.BirdNote is a nonprofit. Your tax-deductible gift makes these shows possible.Bring Birds Back Season 6 is sponsored by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the American Bird Conservancy.

How much do you know about the lives of female birds? And could you identify, say, a male Scarlet Tanager from a female? This episode’s host and co-founder of the Galbatross Project, Purbita Saha, is here to explain why studying female birds is important. Joining her, ornithologist Joanna Wu details how the often overlooked and understudied female birds are crucial to bird conservation efforts. And wildlife ecologist, Michael Chamberlain, shares his vast knowledge about turkeys – a species whose survival was greatly impacted by a significant increase in research about turkey hens. To learn more about our guests and their work or to view this episode’s transcript and other resources, visit BirdNote.org.Want more Bring Birds Back? Subscribe to our show and follow us on Instagram! For more about BirdNote, sign up for our weekly newsletter. And for ad-free listening and other perks, sign up for BirdNote+ here.BirdNote is a nonprofit. Your tax-deductible gift makes these shows possible.Bring Birds Back Season 6 is sponsored by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the American Bird Conservancy.

Join us every other Wednesday for a new episode of Bring Birds Back! Meet this season’s co-hosts Deja Perkins and Purbita Saha, and learn about a wide range of topics from community activism in BIPOC birding spaces to regional and socioeconomic biases in the field of ornithology. From the landmark Chicago building contributing to a billion bird strikes a year to the ongoing bird flu pandemic – we have a lot to talk about. Subscribe now so you won’t miss it!  Want more Bring Birds Back? Follow us on Instagram! For more about BirdNote, sign up for our weekly newsletter. And for ad-free listening and other perks, sign up for BirdNote+ here.BirdNote is a nonprofit. Your tax-deductible gift makes these shows possible.Bring Birds Back Season 6 is sponsored by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the American Bird Conservancy.

Have you ever worried you’d hit a wild animal while driving down a highway or country road? In this special season closer, we learn about  a new and promising future for wildlife and battered cars: wildways. As technology and development continue to expand, infrastructure and fragmentation are threatening the habitats of wildlife. Christine Laporte explains how wildways bridge the gap between the natural world and rapidly growing cities. And then, Dr. Liz Hillard gives us a glimpse into what it all looks like in real time as evidence of its success rolls in. Co-produced by our guest host, Marcus Rosten. Press play!For more information about the From Love to Action campaign, episode transcript and other resources from this episode, visit BirdNote.org.Want more Bring Birds Back? Subscribe to our show and follow us on Instagram! For more about BirdNote, sign up for our weekly newsletter. And for ad-free listening and other perks, sign up for BirdNote+ here.BirdNote is a nonprofit. Your tax-deductible gift makes these shows possible.Bring Birds Back Special Season 5 is sponsored by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

25 years ago, a mysterious cause of eagle and osprey deaths plagued a small town in Arkansas. And in this special episode, we get to the root of it all: small unassuming weeds, also known as invasive aquatic species. In conversation with aquatic plant experts Stacy Holt Jr. and Greg Bugbee, we share what these invasive plants are, how this happened, what they’re doing in other parts of the world (like Connecticut), and ways we can all prevent them from spreading. Co-produced by our guest host, Adé Ben-Salahuddin. Listen in now!For more information about the From Love to Action campaign, episode transcript and other resources from this episode, visit BirdNote.org.Want more Bring Birds Back? Subscribe to our show and follow us on Instagram! For more about BirdNote, sign up for our weekly newsletter. And for ad-free listening and other perks, sign up for BirdNote+ here.BirdNote is a nonprofit. Your tax-deductible gift makes these shows possible.Bring Birds Back Special Season 5 is sponsored by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

Water is essential for life, but how much do you know about the health of your local water supply? In this special episode, we speak with two Riverkeepers who explain the importance of water quality monitoring for every living organism, from humans to birds. John Lipscomb shares critical history of the Hudson River and how activism has helped the neighborhood thrive. And John Zaktansky introduces us to Doug Fessler and the technology of BirdNET for his hi-tech patrol. Co-produced by our guest host, Trisha Mukherjee. Tune in!For more information about the From Love to Action campaign, episode transcript and other resources from this episode, visit BirdNote.org.Want more Bring Birds Back? Subscribe to our show and follow us on Instagram! For more about BirdNote, sign up for our weekly newsletter. And for ad-free listening and other perks, sign up for BirdNote+ here.BirdNote is a nonprofit. Your tax-deductible gift makes these shows possible.Bring Birds Back Special Season 5 is sponsored by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

In this special episode, we explore the critical effects of noise pollution on both humans and birds. Dr. Erica Walker offers an insightful view of how people are negatively impacted by loud disturbances, from everyday life to health complications. And Dr. Clinton Francis shares his discoveries about the impact of noise on bird health and reproduction, from abandoning their habitats to doubling their fertilization rate. Co-produced by our guest host, Tasha Lawson. Press play!For more information about the From Love to Action campaign, episode transcript and other resources from this episode, visit BirdNote.org.Want more Bring Birds Back? Subscribe to our show and follow us on Instagram! For more about BirdNote, sign up for our weekly newsletter. And for ad-free listening and other perks, sign up for BirdNote+ here.BirdNote is a nonprofit. Your tax-deductible gift makes these shows possible.Bring Birds Back Special Season 5 is sponsored by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

This season has been all about the mutual impact birds, humans and nature have on each other. To close it out, Bill McKibben joins Tenijah for an honest chat about the future, nearly 35 years after his book debut, “The End of Nature” first sounded the alarm about climate change. He also talks about his organization, Third Act, that encourages fellow Baby Boomers to be leaders and allies to younger generations, as well as the most vocal in the fight for change — all while knowing they may not be around to see the full extent of its destruction. You don’t want to miss this one — press play!More info and transcript at BirdNote.orgWant more Bring Birds Back? Follow us on Instagram! For more BirdNote, subscribe to our weekly newsletter. For ad-free listening and other perks, sign up for BirdNote+ here.BirdNote is a nonprofit. Your tax-deductible gift makes these shows possible.Bring Birds Back Season 4 is sponsored by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

This is part two of our series on the Sustainability in Prisons Project. If you haven’t heard part one already, we encourage you to listen to that first.Tenijah learns all about Sustainability in Prisons Project’s most successful program to date: rehabilitating the federally endangered Taylor’s Checkerspot Butterfly. Find out how the incarcerated participants at Mission Creek Corrections Center are saving the endangered species and changing the ecology of the evergreen state year by year. Then, we’ll take a step further out and explore how green projects impact lives inside prison and upon release. Is it possible to move toward a more humane prison system by saving the planet? Listen in.More info and transcript at BirdNote.orgWant more Bring Birds Back? Follow us on Instagram! For more BirdNote, subscribe to our weekly newsletter. For ad-free listening and other perks, sign up for BirdNote+ here.BirdNote is a nonprofit. Your tax-deductible gift makes these shows possible.Bring Birds Back Season 4 is sponsored by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.