To bird is a verb! A new mindfulness group at the Farm

A red-tailed hawk hanging out near Main House recently. Photo by staff member, Megan.

At Gould Farm, wellness is woven into the daily routine of our community -- whether when baking bread in the bakery, clearing trails, when a guest meets with their therapist, while talking about ones day at the dinner table, or participating in one of our weekly structured REACH groups. The opportunities to pursue wellness, that quality or state of good physical and mental health we all hope to have, abound here for both staff and guests.

Through REACH, our wellness program that meets twice a week on Tuesday and Thursday, guests and staff can participate in regular, structured opportunities deliberately designed to connect with the land, ones body and mind, and with each other.

One of our newest REACH offerings is a mindful birding group, co-led by local naturalist Dave Edson and staff member and birding enthusiast, Pauline Banducci.

We asked Dave, who is both a naturalist and educator, three questions about his REACH group and how watching birds supports the recovery process for guests.

And during the writing of this post, we reached out to Farm staff to share photos of their birding adventures. Thank you to Joanna, Megan, Noel, and Devora for supplying the beautiful and interesting photos below.

Q1: Guests often use REACH groups to build tangible skills for managing stress and building mental clarity. From your perspective, how does the act of tracking a bird help a guest in everyday life?

Dave Edson, leading a birding group.

Dave: Birding, specifically mindful birding, is ultimately about joy, healing, calm, and senses of groundedness and connection - grounded to the land, connected to one's soul and purpose, and connected to fellow humans.

Birding can mean moving one's body, reaping the benefits of that kind of somatic therapy while noticing both the birds along the way or...one can just be still. Another option is to pick a sit-spot and wait for the birds to come to you. I think the focus can actually go full circle - shifting from the internal to the external and then back to the changed internal as a result of being in the presence of birds.

In other words, being in the presence of birds with a deep sense of wonder is a much healthier and more productive way to be. It gives the monkey mind something better to do. And this isn't a woo-woo way of connecting with nature, it's rooted in science. Birding heals.

A key part of mindful birding is not only paying close attention to the birds, but to how it makes you feel before, during, and afterwards. When we see something beautiful and awe-inspiring, we say it out loud. We make a note of it and "download" it into our systems so we can access those images and feelings again when anxiety or rumination comes knocking.

Additionally, mindful birding requires deep listening. This skill can be utilized during social interactions between humans. Birding also requires loads of patience, trial and error, and humility. All great skills to apply at work, with family, or with friends. And whenever I'm feeling stuck in life or overwhelmed, I turn to the birds. They know what to do. They're busy and always moving forward. Birding can free us.

Q2: Birding is often seen as a solitary pursuit, yet recovery at the Farm relies heavily on shared experience. How do these groups bridge the gap between individual reflection and social connection?

Dave: There is no one way to bird. As long as you're being respectful of nature (which humans have always been a part of), you can find your own way to bird!

Birding solo can be super valuable and profound, but joy is meant to be shared. When birding in community, there are even more senses to be on alert for birds and other parts of the ecosystem. There are more cool questions to be asked and more joy to be shared.

When I facilitate birding outings with groups, I want participants to feel as comfortable as possible to bring their whole, authentic selves. When people feel safe, heard, and seen then they can be the most invested in the experience. And if someone has never birded before and is in awe of a common bird such as an American Crow, I want to feel their joy and I want others to feel their joy.

It's great to watch guests at the Farm point out to other guests what they see or hear. Getting someone else in on seeing a bird is thrilling. Because everyone is uniquely wired, everyone's brain works differently; and when we're birding in a group, one person might notice something that someone else doesn't.

The guests' questions and observations are seriously brilliant. Their curiosities and powerful observations run so deep sometimes that it leads to my favorite answer: "I don't know."

There is a "yet" implied at the end of that sentence, because now I want to go chase the answers to their wonderful questions. And when someone is brave enough to share a question or something that they notice, everyone else respects that and really soaks it in. I hope there are moments where individuals build confidence and their community members might see their friends in a new and special way.

Q3: Now that the program has new binoculars, what is the practical impact of that resource? Does having the right equipment change how a guest experiences the landscape?

Yes, thanks to a recent grant acquired with the assistance of the Farm as fiscal sponsor, I was able to acquire several sets of high-quality binoculars. This tool lowers a significant technical barrier for the many birding enthusiasts in the community and in the groups I lead elsewhere, allowing for a much closer look at the wildlife that shares our landscape.

The amazing thing about mindful birding is that it is, by nature, inclusive. One does not need to have binoculars or travel the world to bird. Anyone can practice it anywhere. I use the Science of Awe* as a foundation and tool for articulating mindful birding, so there's already an infinite amount there… but having access to binoculars literally gives these birders a different perspective.

Binoculars absolutely change the way a guest physically inhabits the land! One example is my least favorite part of the job which is having to move people along because of time constraints. They don't want to stop looking through the binoculars and I totally get it. These experiences last so the next time they return to that spot, they might remember the bird or the shared joy from that special place and time.

Just today, when using binoculars, our group got to see great, long looks at Tree Swallows, Barn Swallows, a Grey Catbird, Bobolinks, a Northern Parula, and an Ovenbird while out in the field. It was so special! These birds are all so stunning and uniquely designed. And it wasn't just the thrill of the birds. It was joy and awe felt personally and in community. Who would want to leave that?

Notes:

Want to read more about efforts to make the Farm property even more of a wildlife sanctuary for birds? Check out our 2024 blog post, Kestrels at home in Gould Farm pastures.

* Science of Awe: if you would like to learn more about this, Dave recommends Dr. Dacher Keltner and his book as the best jumping off point: https://www.dacherkeltner.com/

Dave recently presented on "Mindful Birding and the Science of Awe" as part of the MCLA Green Living Seminar series on Nature and Spirituality. A recording of his full presentation is available here on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JRUJ4Oyk2Ow&list=PLGcOOXxu3H3vHB68jyxE-6m7rC-h40xKW&index=10

You can find Dave on Instagram @davesonofed