Mark Robertson teaches high school English in San Juan Capistrano, California, a city also known as the spiritual home of the famous cliff swallows. It is from this perch (ha! see what we did there?) that he delves into the world of birds, birding photography, and all things literature.

Friends, I enjoyed my conversation with Mark so very much. His answers to my questions wove together theology, poetry, Scripture, and a deep love and appreciation for all things avian.

From Makoto Fujimura to NT Wright, from Murder on the Orient Express to bearing witness, this is an episode not to be missed.

You may also wish to follow Mark on Instagram or Twitter to see his fabulous bird photos and the whimsical creations of short videos set to music. My kids eat them up. So do I.

Author, speaker, and professor of communication Quentin Schultze grew up in rough circumstances. The child of an alcoholic father who died young and a schizophrenic mother, one of the few things he found solace and connection in was studying robins with his mother.

Decades later, he birds with his wife Barbara in the woods of Western Michigan and beyond. From Sandhill Cranes to Black-capped Chickadees, join us on a journey through the hope of birding in a world riddled with grief.

You can follow more of Quentin’s writings and musings over on his website: www.quentinschultze.com.

Trauma therapist , birder, and author of My Summer with Ospreys, Pamela Lowell believes that hope is a great motivator.

From her decades of work with people dealing with immense suffering, she’s found that nature can be an incredible balm.

But when her enjoyment of birds in the marsh behind her home was drowned out by the sound of chainsaws, it turned out that her sanctuary was being clear cut. 100 acres torn down… for a parking lot.

Thus began Pamela’s foray into activism, birding, and seeking care for the Ospreys who now found themselves at great risk.

“Nature can also break your heart,” she said.

Join us for this special episode all about Ospreys, but also about hope, transformation, and what a few determined people can do to help save one little corner of the world.

Birding links:

The Merlin Bird ID App

eBird

iNaturalist

The Thing with Feathers is hosted and produced by Courtney Ellis. Original music by Del Belcher. New episodes bi-weekly on Mondays.