Though birding seems like a whimsical hobby, birders can be surprisingly competitive. Bridget Butler seeks to bring mindfulness, peace, and gentle attention into the world of birds and birding.

Her slow birding guiding practice, Bird Diva, brings people out into nature for focused time communing with the birds and one another.

“I just wanted to stop and slow down and watch what the birds were doing,” said Butler. “And there weren’t that many bird outings that were doing that… I wanted more!” Her love for studying bird behavior took her into the world of slow birding, a world she invites us into today.

Join us for this special episode of The Thing with Feathers as we learn from Bridget how to slow down, be present, and accept the gifts nature gives to us day by day.

Ben Lowe is the executive director for A Roche, a Christian organization dedicated to the practice of creation care. Part of its mission is to help people rejoice in the beauty, diversity, and complexity of the natural world, and (get this!) commit to delighting in and treasuring God’s good creation.

Delighting in creation. What a wonderful, important, energizing idea.

So often we encounter news headlines about climate change that are steeped in terror or cynicism. The world is ending, they say, and we are to blame. Lowe believes there is another way to approach conservation: one that is rooted in God’s call to steward the earth and the ultimate hope of the Gospel.

It’s that and his organization’s grassroots efforts with communities and churches to make ecosystems healthier one, small step at a time that made this interview so rich.

“It’s easier to despair when you’re not involved on the ground,” he told me. “Just getting your hands dirty is a great antidote to despair.”

Don’t miss this special episode of The Thing with Feathers as we dive deep on what it means to work together to restore right relationships with creation—including our neighbors.

And don’t forget to check out the work Ben and A Rocha are doing, both within the US and around the world.

Author of Falling for the Birds of Rwanda and the soon to be released Following the Birds of Rwanda, Will Wilson didn’t start out as a birder. From age 18 until his early 40s, he served in the British military.

How did he make the change from military life to a contemplative birding practice in the cities and wilds of Rwanda? Therein lies the tale.

Will Wilson is a generous photographer based in Kigali, sharing his photos far and wide on social media. Looking through his eyes on Twitter and Instagram has been a great gift.

If you’ve never been to Rwanda—or even if you have!—join us for this very special international episode as Will helps us explore weavers and bee-eaters and beautiful birds of all kinds.