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!

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: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ramonaschindelheim/

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.

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.

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/

Did you know that 55% of Americans don't have enough savings to simultaneously weather a loss of income and a rise in expenses? In this episode of Birds & Nerds, we're talking about ways to financially strengthen vulnerable Americans, providing them with the financial security they need to reach their full potential. And, as always, we find examples in nature where protecting and lifting up the most vulnerable in the flock makes a stronger community.

"In our country, we tend to think we can make everyone better off just by income. But it's actually the combination of income, benefits, and (intergenerational) wealth," says Joanna Smith-Ramani, co-executive director of the Aspen Institute Financial Security Program (FSP).

She tells host Ramona Schindelheim, "You can't beat a retirement account and really good healthcare insurance. Paid leave is necessary — either sick time or vacation time — just to rejuvenate yourself."

FSP is looking an innovative solutions that are helping build that wealth, such as employee ownership programs that give workers a share of a company, or programs that allow people to buy into the land underneath their rentals.

As the saying goes, there is strength in numbers.

"We're firm believers in the good of humans and the ability to make big change and be disruptive when we're working together," says Smith-Ramani.

Working together across public and private organizations can help lift up all others.

"We will not solve all of this on our own if there is still burdensome medical debt and bad health outcomes. Education, when I talk to educators directly or with folks in that system, they know that hungry kids, kids who come from houses where they don't have stable housing, they're not going to thrive in schools. So, they're all interacting with each other. And we've got to be much more thoughtful about the complementary policy and practice."

"I want all children to really feel like their community, their country cares about their thriving and is investing in them in all sectors, in private and public. I don't mean this as just like a government responsibility. But that they feel like they are living in a place that knows they have something to contribute and wants to make sure they can get there," says Smith-Ramani.

Working collectively to help the most vulnerable is something that you see in nature, including among birds. Tune in to see how waddles of penguins demonstrate that together a flock is much stronger than each bird fighting to survive on its own.

Learn more about FSP at Aspen Institute:
https://www.aspeninstitute.org/programs/financial-security-program/

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/

"Genealogy is the pursuit of truth, and if you choose to begin researching your family's history, you had better be prepared to accept whatever truths you uncover." That's the advice from Bill Griffeth, retired CNBC anchor and author of two books on his own family history.

Welcome to the Birds & Nerds podcast, hosted by me, Ramona Schindelheim! In each episode, I'm exploring a random topic I want to know more about with an expert in that field. Somehow, we always find the connection — sometimes unexpected — to my favorite animals, BIRDS!

Bill is my nerd in this episode of the podcast and we have a lot to talk about. We discuss whether we will one day have mandatory genetic testing for insurance purposes, and we delve into the world of genealogy, exploring personal stories of family history, and the impact of DNA testing, including the emotional, often life-changing journey of uncovering family secrets. We each share a few of our own family secrets!

How does this all connect to birds? Turns out that some birds are not as monogamous as we were led to believe. Sanderlings, we are talking to you! It's complicated, just as it is with people! Yes, humor can be a coping mechanism for dealing with complex family dynamics, so we have quite a few laughs along the way.

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Books by Bill Griffeth on Amazon:
A Stranger in My Genes
By Faith Alone

Follow Bill Griffeth on social:
Instagram: @thebillgriffeth
Threads: @thebillgriffeth

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

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

Who is in charge of making sure AI is being used for us and not against us? And can we use artificial intelligence to understand what birds are saying to each other, and then learn how to talk with birds directly? That would be pretty cool, dontcha think!?

Welcome to the Birds & Nerds podcast, hosted by Ramona Schindelheim! In each episode, I'm exploring a random topic I want to know more about with an expert in that field. Somehow, we always find the connection — sometimes unexpected — to my favorite animals, BIRDS! My nerd for this episode is Vilas Dhar, president of The Patrick J. McGovern Foundation, a philanthropic organization advancing AI and data solutions to create a thriving, equitable, and sustainable future for all.

Vilas offers a compelling metaphor: society is moving through the "five stages of grief" with AI — form denial to over-optimism, fear, anger, and now, pragmatic acceptance. "We're no long asking if we should use AI, but how we should us it responsibly." In the podcast, we discuss the tension between short-term efficiency and long-term value creation. Vilas offers a third path: use Ai to enhance productivity, not replace workers. "This isn't just about regulation — it's about redefining our social contract in the age of AI," Vilas tells me.

And then there were birds!

Vilas and I talk about how AI is already being deployed to understand birds' migration patterns to better protect them, especially those species that are under threat. We also talk about how AI is in the hands of birders, helping them identify birds through apps such as Merlin and eBird. We take the conversation a fantastic step further: What if AI could decode birdsong and tell us exactly what a bird is saying!?! We image what they might say to us, given the chance to express their opinions!

A great conversation. Lot's of good information about the ethical use of AI for people and society. And we find the connection between AI and birds.

Learn more about the work of The Patrick J. McGovern Foundation:

https://www.mcgovern.org/

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

Want to know more about me? I am an award-winning journalist and storyteller curious about everything!

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