In this inspiring episode of The Bird Joy Podcast, Jason and Dexter sit down with Shane Alden Edwards, better known online as The Wild Dryad. A self-taught illustrator and botanist, Shane has captured the hearts of over half a million nature lovers through his vibrant educational content centered on plants, ecology, and outdoor learning.

From early creative roots in aquaponics and drawing, to leading community workshops in partnership with The Conservation Foundation and The Field Museum of Natural History, Shane shares how art and education can work together to nurture a deeper relationship with the natural world.

We talk about the joy of native plants, the importance of experiential learning, and how community and creativity can foster healing for both people and the planet.

Topics Covered:

• Shane’s journey into botany through art and aquaponics
• How acting and improv shape his unique teaching style
• Building inclusive, community-centered environmental education
• The importance of native plants for birds, biodiversity, and ecosystems
• Memorable experiences studying ecology in North America and Southeast Asia
• What it’s like to grow an online community of over 500,000 nature lovers
• Tips for beginners who want to start exploring plants and botany
• Hopes for the future of conservation, education, and environmental justice
• Finding joy through connection with plants and nature

bipocbirdingclub.org

incolorbirding.org

The second episode of The Bird Joy Podcast features hosts Dexter Patterson and Jason Hall in conversation with their "dream guest," Dr. J. Drew Lanham, a distinguished wildlife ecologist, professor, poet, and author. The episode delves into Dr. Lanham's deep connections to nature, starting with his childhood on The Home Place and the influence of his grandmother.

The discussion explores themes of land, identity, and belonging for Black individuals in landscapes with a history of slavery, referencing Dr. Lanham's book The Home Place. It also discusses the realities of "Birding While Black," including the experience of being watched and the question of safety, while also touching on the progress and necessary changes brought about by initiatives like Black Birders Week.

A significant portion of the conversation centers on the concept of "Joy as Justice," the title of Dr. Lanham's latest poetry collection. They explore why joy is central to his work and its meaning as a form of resistance. They also discuss navigating grief alongside the wonder of nature.

The hosts and Dr. Lanham touch upon the power of storytelling in conservation, blending science with poetry, and the impact of his writing, referencing his BirdNote episode "For Lindsay." The episode concludes with a discussion on legacy, advice for young Black and Brown nature enthusiasts, and Dr. Lanham's hopes for the future of birding and the outdoors.

The hosts thanked Dr. Lanham and provided information on where listeners can find his work before signing off. They also shouted out relevant organizations and called listeners to action.

bipocbirdingclub.org

incolorbirding.org

We're back! In the Season 3 premiere of Bird Joy, your favorite birding buddies reunite to catch up, share what’s new, and get pumped for the peak of spring migration. From exciting bird sightings to major personal milestones—including Dexter’s new book and In Color Birding Club’s website launch—this episode sets the tone for an inspiring and vibrant new season.

In This Episode:

• A warm welcome back to the Bird Joy community
• Early spring sightings and birding energy
• Community-driven birding updates and new collaborations
• Behind-the-scenes of Dexter’s book journey
• Launch of a new inclusive birding platform
• What’s ahead this season—special guests, stories, and inspiration

Subscribe, share, and follow us on socials to stay in the loop this season. Got a cool spring birding moment? Tag us—we’d love to see it!

Let’s go! Season 3 is officially in flight. 

Season 2 of the Bird Joy Podcast was an unforgettable journey! This season, we celebrated diverse voices and explored themes like birding, mentorship, science communication, healing, community, and breaking barriers in STEAM fields. From pioneers like Emmy-award winner and best-selling author Christian Cooper to next-generation leaders like Isaiah Scott, our guests inspired us with their passion and wisdom.

Dexter reflects on the personal growth and healing sparked by powerful conversations with guests like Tammah Watts and Melissa Hafting. At the same time, Jason hilariously compares a male Northern Cardinal to Adele (yes, that happened!).

As we gear up for Season 3, we invite YOU, our listeners, to join the show by sharing your Bird Joy stories. Plus, get a sneak peek at exciting future guests and how we’re working to grow the podcast, reach more people, and fairly compensate our amazing guests.

Follow us on Instagram @thebirdjoypod and check out our incredible Season 2 guests:

• Christian Cooper – @christiancooperbirder
• Isaiah Scott – @ikesbirdinghikes
• Jordan Rowley – @brighteyedbirding
• Mariah Hryniewich – @mariaheve13
• Luis Eduardo Gles – @phonescoper
• Amar Ayyash 
• Lauren Pharr – @ldpharr
• Dr. Murry Burges – @murryloub
• Field Inclusive – @fieldinclusive
• Indigo Goodson-Fields – @indigoindaflow
• Tammah Watts – @tammahwatts
• Calvin Feagans – @biotainframe
• Alex Troutman – @n8ture_al
• Melissa Hafting – @bcbirdergirl

• Audience Involvement: We want to hear from you! Record a short voice memo sharing your favorite birding moments, reflections on the podcast, or what Bird Joy means to you. Please email us at [email protected]

Shoutouts: 

• A big shoutout to Field Inclusive (it’s Field Inclusive Week!)
• Jasmine Banks of Operation Fresh Start, Christopher Kilgour of Color in the Outdoors, Outdoor Auntie.
• Support the Podcast: Help us grow by subscribing, sharing, and leaving a review. Interested in partnering with us? Reach out to support or sponsor the podcast and help us scale while fairly compensating our guests.

We’re so proud to showcase the diversity and beauty of the birding community. To all our Bird Nerd homies, thank you for making Season 2 unforgettable. We’ll see you in Season 3—we outside all 2025!

In the final guest appearance of Season 2, Dexter and Jason sit down with British Columbia's own Melissa Hafting to explore how birding can provide profound healing and hope. Melissa reflects on her experiences as a Black woman birding in British Columbia and discusses her remarkable new book, Dare to Bird: Exploring the Joy and Healing Power of Birds. She shares how her parents nurtured her love for birds early on and how that foundational support motivates her to mentor the next generation of birders in her community and beyond through the BC Young Birders Program she founded in 2014.

Melissa is a trailblazer in the birding community, breaking barriers, championing diversity, and leading with grace and determination.

The conversation also touches on Melissa's favorite birding spots in BC, including the Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary and Boundary Bay. She talks about her role as an eBird reviewer and showcases her breathtaking bird photography.

Melissa Hafting is a shining example of how Black women significantly contribute to birding and beyond.

Connect with Melissa:

📸 Follow Melissa: @bcbirdergirl  

🌐 Visit her website: Dare to Bird

We also want to thank the Special Bird Service, another Canadian organization dedicated to making nature more accessible. Through birding, they aim to remove barriers and challenge stereotypes about the outdoors.

Connect with Us:

🐦 Dexter: @WiscoBirder  

🐦 Jason: @TheBirdingBeardsman

🌐 More episodes & resources: Bird Joy Podcast

🎙️ Are you ready for some Bird Joy? Let's Go!

In this uplifting episode, Dexter and Jason are joined by Alex Troutman, known as the “Best Smile in Birding,” to explore the many ways to find joy in the great outdoors. Whether it’s birding, fishing, hunting, or camping, Alex inspires us to live life with a wildlife mirror, reflecting the beauty of the natural world.

Alex shares his incredible research journey highlights, including studying Karner Blue Butterflies in Wisconsin, sea turtles in Texas, and bats in Malaysia.

The conversation includes Bird Joy Podcast shoutouts to Hunters of Color, Black Duck Revival, and the homie Mahdi Woodard, the Atlanta Birdman.

Don’t miss Alex’s thoughts on his upcoming merch and the hosts’ shared dream of birding in South America to spot the iconic Harpy Eagle. Want to help them get there? Holler at your bird-loving crew!

Connect with Us:

Follow Alex Troutman: @N8ture_Al

Dexter: @WiscoBirder

Jason: @TheBirdingBeardsman

🌐 More episodes & resources: Bird Joy Podcast

🎙️ Are you ready for some Bird Joy? Let’s Go!

Dexter and Jason welcome Calvin Feagans, an environmental scientist, educator, and talented nature photographer, to the Bird Joy Podcast this week! Calvin shares how his passion for urban ecology and biodiversity drives his creative work, from the educational EnviroBytes to urban ecology report cards. He also discusses the challenges and joys of turning data into storytelling tools, mapping bird migration patterns, and reclaiming old industrial spaces for conservation efforts.

Throughout the conversation, the homies touch on themes like environmental stewardship, advocating for nature in urban spaces, and navigating the highs and lows of social media advocacy (including a few words on those inevitable trolls). They even reflect nostalgically (and humorously) on their shared love-hate relationship with R programming!

Get ready for an inspiring, educational, and joy-filled conversation that will leave you seeing urban green spaces—and the role you can play in preserving them—in a new light.

Be sure to follow our podcast on Instagram at @thebirdjoypod and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

BIPOC Birding Club of Wisconsin

In Color Birding Club

Get comfortable. Take a seat. Gather around friends for a warm and meaningful conversation with the famed author, mindful birder, licensed marriage and family therapist, California Audubon board member, and accessible birding advocate Tammah Watts! In this episode we discuss her approaches to birding as it pertains to her own healing and connection with our community, including incredible encounters with Red-shouldered Hawks and Mourning Doves to aid in the healing. We cover some experiences we’ve all had in nature, some with each other. We look into her book, “Keep Looking Up: Your Guide to the Powerful Healing of Birdwatching,” and even explore some pages together. You will be delighted to participate in a prompt read live by Tammah, where we embody a crane looking at still water for some self-reflection. We also talk about some birding adventures with the SoCal Bird Nerd crew (of which Jason is an honorary member), where they look for Cactus Wrens and Say’s Phoebe. We also get some great advice from Tammah on how to approach our birding in ways that help us cope with life in a sometimes very challenging world.

This is a space we gather to fill up each other’s cups with that everlasting Bird Joy! Join us!

Be sure to follow our podcast on Instagram at @thebirdjoypod and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

BIPOC Birding Club of Wisconsin

In Color Birding Club

The vibe is SOOOO right this week with our homie Indigo Goodson-Fields. Indigo comes to hang with us from Brooklyn, NYC, where she is a birder, poet, bird guide, writer, educator, and bird model (with Bird Collective). We spend some time talking about how she curates her community in ways that enrich her own mental health as well as the community around her. This includes leading “Birding, Poetry, and Power” outings through Field Meridians as well as those more quiet and reflecting moments in Prospect Park or the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. We break down what it means to find your space and your community in nature, especially in the most well-known city on the planet. Indigo brings us inside the life of a new mother, navigating the caregiving responsibilities while still trying to find time to fill up one's cup in nature. This can be through the reflections on the intertwined lives of Eastern Bluebird and Brown-headed Cowbird mothers or the arrival of a special Yellow-breasted Chat in her local patch.

Join us this week as we find that unique Bird Joy with Indigo, and give her a follow if you want to get to one of her upcoming outings in 2025!

Be sure to follow our podcast on Instagram at @thebirdjoypod and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

BIPOC Birding Club of Wisconsin

In Color Birding Club

We have some excellence for ya’ll on this episode! Our two guests today are Dr. Murry Burgess and Lauren D. Pharr, the founders of Field Inclusive Inc. In this episode, we get into the need for an organization like Field Inclusive when it comes to helping marginalized field researchers, including those who are out in our forests, swamps, ponds, oceans, and deserts studying birds! This covers everything from field training to safety training and even equitable financial compensation. You can learn more about this in the upcoming Field Inclusive Week 2025.

Additionally, we cover some of the research that has impacted birds across the spectrum. From the key research by Lauren on the Red-cockaded Woodpecker, which was recently delisted from endangered to threatened by USFWS to the key research by Dr. Burgess on light pollution on the lives of songbirds. We do not forget to discuss the colorful and magical book Sparrow Loves Birds, authored by Dr. Burgess and illustrated by Tamisha Anthony. We discuss the impetus for the books and why it’s such a comprehensive onramp for kids to explore their communities.

Join us this week for incredible joy and inspiration with these two heroes of ornithology.

Be sure to follow our podcast on Instagram at @thebirdjoypod and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Please share this with a friend and help us spread a little Bird Joy. 

BIPOC Birding Club of Wisconsin

In Color Birding Club