Susanne Swing Thompson is the author of A Closer Look: The Neighborhood and the creative mind behind Wren Photos. Susanne is a big believer in the power and whimsy that can happen when we look more closely at our own backyards, streets, and local parks.

While birding can take us far afield - and this is fun! - when we tune into the birds, wildlife, and flora right on our own front steps, we can begin to find magic right where we are.

“I find myself wondering, ‘What is happening at home?’” said Susanne.

Join us for this episode as we look more closely at our own neighborhoods and encourage you to do the same.

If you’d like to subscribe to Susanne’s newsletter (I do; it’s lovely!), you may do so here.

Nashville-based author and illustrator Jessica Roux takes her inspiration from the natural world, folklore, and world religions.

In her beautiful book, Ornithography: An Illustrated Guide to Bird Lore, Jessica takes us on a journey into the mythology of different species of birds. Each avian description is partnered with a beautiful hand-drawn illustration, making this book great for anyone in need of a little more whimsy and beauty. (And isn’t that all of us?)

Join us for this episode of The Thing with Feathers as we talk about illustration, inspiration, and our mutual love of Flannery O’Connor. Plus: how to appreciate and celebrate the gift of birds, a gentle solution for outdoor cats, and what Jessica’s working on next.

To see more of Jessica’s beautiful illustrations, check out her work on Instagram.

Mark Winter is a birding guide at Even Sparrows. He’s also a lay theologian from the U.K. who comes to us with stories of St. Cuthbert, discovering awe, and his take on why Jesus never mentions eagles in the Bible.

Join us for a visit to this pastoral and wind-swept land as we talk about Mark’s book, Look at the Birds of the Air, encounters with birds in Scripture, and why “just getting out there” is some of the best birding advice for newbies.

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.

New York Times bestselling author Leigh Ann Henion believes we can learn a lot when the lights go out. From lightning bugs to salamanders, owls to bats, a whole world opens up after dark.

Join us as we talk about our shared human need for darkness and why certain things flourish in less-seen times and places.

Plus, check out Leigh Ann’s beautiful book, Night Magic: Adventures Among Glowworms, Moon Gardens, and Other Marvels of the Dark, which releases with Algonquin tomorrow and can be found everywhere books are sold.

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.