In this episode of The Spark Bird Podcast, we talk with Laura Marris, Visiting Assistant Professor in the English department at the University at Buffalo. Laura shares how birding with her dad as a child shaped the way she sees the world. And we discuss her book The Age of Loneliness, reflecting on the decline in bird abundance, the role of community science, and what it means to truly notice the living world around us. This conversation is about more than birdwatching; it’s about presence, memory, and the quiet ways nature holds us through change.

*During the episode, Jenn mentioned a word she couldn’t recall at the time, it’s the Romanian word “dor,” which captures a deep sense of longing or missing something you love.*

Resources & Links from This Episode

📖 Learn more about Laura’s upcoming book The Age of Loneliness from Graywolf Press.

📚 Order your copy on Bookshop or listen to the audiobook on Libro.fm.

🌐 Visit lauramarris.com or follow @lauramarris for more of Laura’s work.

🦉 Watch Norman Smith’s The Snowy Owls of Logan Airport.

🌱 Learn about the Silo City remediation project.

🕊️ Get involved with Cornell Lab’s Community Science projects.

🌳 Explore the work of the WNY Land Conservancy

🔬 Read the Science article on the loss of bird abundance.

📖 Check out the children’s classic Owl Moon by Jane Yolen.

Show Notes by Kayla Gajewski