BirdNote Presents
Longform stories and series that connect us more deeply with birds, nature, and each other.
Heid E. Erdrich
Ojibwe writer Heid E. Erdrich is the author of seven collections of poetry. In our closing episode of poetry month, hear her poems about Northern Flickers, a Wild Turkey, and a Red-eyed Vireo.
Poetry Month - Timothy Steele
Timothy Steele is an American poet who has received numerous awards and honors for his poetry. Steele is known for his love of rhyme, meter, and traditional forms of poetry. He loves birds, and has had a number of poems inspired by encounters with them.
Poetry Month - Traci Brimhall
Many poets write about birds in a romantic style, exalting nature as this pristine thing, separate from people. But poet Traci Brimhall’s work has a level of intimacy, a more everyday and immediate view of nature.
Poetry Month - Wendy S. Walters
While living in L.A. during the early 2000s, writer Wendy S. Walters wrote a short collection of poems about the city called The Birds of Los Angeles. The book looks examines all aspects of the city, from the film and media industry to the birds that caught her imagination.
Grouse
The Greater Sage-Grouse has eclipsed the Spotted Owl as perhaps the most controversial North American bird in the 21st century. These strange, wonderful birds live exclusively in the sagebrush steppe of the Intermountain West. But they are in decline, and protecting them has sparked fights between stakeholders across the region.
In the Clear: The Problem with Birds and Glass
Bird populations have declined by nearly 30% over the past 50 years — a loss of over 3 billion birds. To understand what's behind that loss, we're bringing stories of the biggest threats facing birds right now. In this episode, we look at the issue glass windows pose to birds. Learn about the problem — and what we can do to fix it.
Carson and the Thrush
Rachel Carson is known best for Silent Spring, a book credited with sparking the modern environmental movement. But before that, Carson met a woman named Dorothy Freeman. This is the story of Carson and Freeman’s relationship. It grew from their shared love for the natural world — and for the Veery.
Wingspan Takes Flight
The board game Wingspan came out this year to a lot of buzz. The bird-themed game is fun, but it’s also having a surprising impact. It’s gotten board gamers hooked on birds — and birders hooked on board games!
A Conversation with Dr. J. Drew Lanham: Finding Home in Nature
Ashley Ahearn spoke with Dr. J. Drew Lanham at the University of Washington College of the Environment Symposium on Nature and Health. The conversation weaves through Dr. Lanham’s poetry, his memoir, his thoughts about faith, climate change, the loss of birds, and the ways we can work together to confront systemic racism.