In this episode of The Spark Bird Podcast, hosts Jenn Lodi-Smith and Janet McNally welcome Ivan Phillipsen, creator and host of The Science of Birds podcast and co-owner of Wild Latitudes worldwide nature tours.

Ivan shares how a seemingly ordinary moment with his friend led him to his spark bird, the California Towhee. Ivan also shares his journey shifting from academia to science communication, the joy of returning to a more holistic view of the natural world, and the importance of scientific literacy in an age of misinformation.

Links & Resources from This Episode

🐦 Explore more of Ivan's work and listen to his podcast on The Science of Birds website.

🌍 Discover global birding adventures by visiting Wild Latitudes, the tour company Ivan co-owns.

🎧 Revisit the episode "How to Find Birds" from The Science of Birds, which they discussed in this week's episode.

🔍 Build your field ID skills with Ivan's episode, "How to Identify Birds in the Field."

📸 Follow Ivan on Instagram for bird science, naturalist insights, and behind-the-scenes snapshots on his work.

▶️ Watch more from The Science of Birds on Ivan's YouTube channel.

Show Notes by Kayla Gajewski