As a mom of three youngish kids (6, 9, and 12), I was so excited to talk to Barbara Hunsicker. Barbara is a Florida birder, a theologian, and a mom of two. She shares her best birding tips to welcome kids into the joy, the gift of watching youngsters discover the world of birds, and how we might learn from our kids, too.

Plus, we talk hurricane relief and what natural disasters can mean for us and our feathered friends. Barbara and her family were new to Florida—her husband Dave pastors a Presbyterian church there—when Hurricane Helene came through, wreaking havoc on their church property as well as many of their congregants’ homes. It was a trial-by-fire in beginning their ministry, and in many ways they are still recovering.

She helps answer the questions: what happens to birds in a hurricane, and how does a community’s recovery shape its togetherness and its love?

Plus, we celebrate the birds of Florida and talk theology, mystery, favorite birds, nemesis birds, and the small, surprising places where Barbara is finding hope today.

You can follow Barbara’s birding journey on Instagram, too, where she’s one of my very favorites for bird photography and Florida joy.

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