In this relaxed, bird-filled episode of The Forest School Podcast, Lewis and Gemma perch indoors after a blustery start and let the conversation take flight. Beginning with the simple observation that “birds are everywhere”, they spiral into how avian encounters shape outdoor learning: from inventing silly mnemonics for calls, to tuning your brain to seasonal song, to building human-sized nests and running “find-your-flock” games that make even reserved adults crow with delight. Along the way they unpack why learning nature ID is exponential, celebrate corvid cleverness (including a surreal four-jay “meeting” in Gemma’s garden), update listeners on the notorious window--smashing crows, and share practical ways practitioners can weave bird lore into Forest School sessions. The episode closes with a teaser for an upcoming book-club discussion of The Power of Showing Up.

⏱ Chapter Timings
00:00 – Delayed start, YouTube lives & Patreon shout-out
01:18 – “Birds are everywhere” – accessibility and ubiquity
02:53 – Pigeon poems & other mnemonics for teaching bird calls
05:35 – How to train your ear: winter listening and exponential learning
11:46 – Continuous CPD: one species at a time keeps it fresh
14:31 – Retuning the brain, sentinel birds & the concept of “jizz”
17:15 – Mystery jay chorus, corvid intelligence and dialects
22:24 – Crow vs. window saga: behaviour, deterrence and observation
29:18 – Swallow kites, paper birds and the frantic “find-your-flock” game
37:18 – Gemma’s giant nest obsession & embodied play
41:44 – Sign-off and forthcoming book-review episode

🌲 Keywords: bird mnemonics, seasonal listening, Forest School games, corvid behaviour, nest building, jizz identification, continuous CPD, nature connection, children’s outdoor play, attachment-centred reading

🔖 Hashtags:
#ForestSchool #OutdoorLearning #BirdSong #NatureID #Corvids #ChildLedPlay #ForestSchoolPodcast #CPD #SeasonalNature #FindYourFlock

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