their encounters with birds in NYC's boroughs. I
kept notes in my notebook thinking I would write
about them. However, I came to realize that the
stories were so rich and detailed that it would
be better for people to tell their own stories."
Georgia is a self-described podcast nerd (her favorites
include In Defense of Plants, Strict Scrutiny, and Fall
of Civilizations), so she was already familiar with the
format. She originally envisioned Your Bird Story as
taking place in the field, but the challenge of finding
quiet enough spaces to record in NYC proved too
great. "I still hope to figure it out," she says. For now,
the interviews are done over Zoom. The show is
edited and produced by Pod to the People Founder
and Lead Engineer Allon Beausoleil. "He provides
excellent feedback on the raw tape and on what
to think about for future episodes," Georgia says.
"Without a producer I don't know how sustainable
the podcast would be. I don't have an ear for this
type of work. Working with Pod to the People has
made the process relatively stress-free for me."
Most of the fundraising for Your Bird Story, which
along with WSP Eco Projects is a Local Nature Lab ini-
tiative, goes toward the production costs. In the first
year, funding came from a private donation. In year
two, Georgia's grant application to the New Jersey-
based Puffin Foundation was successful, and for year
three (the current season) and four, the UK-based
Voices for Nature Foundation provided a grant.
"It can be challenging to get grants for a project that
is on a small-scale, like ours is at present," Georgia
says. "Most foundations are geared towards projects
of a certain size, often with million-dollar-plus >>
You might be familiar with the saying,
"You cannot see the forest for the trees."
You are so focused on the details (the
trees) that you lose sight of the bigger
picture (the forest). In this two-part
episode, Georgia speaks with Dr. Thomas
Easley, a forester, who in community with
Black birders and through the practice of
birding slowly, came to see the smaller
aspects of the forests (the birds) in
which he works and the landscape in
which he lives. (February 11, 2021)
Katie Leung's childhood interest in
charismatic megafauna and predatory
mammals and fish has evolved to
include raptors like the Eastern Screech
Owl and the Osprey. Katie describes
her previous work with raptors in New
York City and is effusive about her new
job working on the Hudson River, "a
beautiful, vast estuary." Georgia says,
"I appreciate Katie's willingness to talk
about balancing vigilance in light of anti-
Asian hate with enjoying and working
in the outdoors." (December 8, 2022)
How much do you know about the
American Robin? Turdus migratorius is
the focus of the doctoral research of
Emily Williams, an avian ecologist based
in Washington, DC. How big are robin
roosts? Are female robins territorial?
What do we know about American
Robin migration? Emily's research is
highlighting and revealing much about
this fascinating, often underappreciated
common bird. (September 8, 2022)
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