All birders intuitively understand the value of birding, even if we’re not so great as a community as expressing that value. Birding as a means for personal growth, and coming to grips with the changing world around us is an important part of why we enjoy this hobby. It’s certainly a fascinating topic with a lot of rich veins to mine. It’s something that Dr. Trish O’Kane of the University of Vermont’s Rubenstein School of the Environment and Natural Resources has thought a lot about. Her piece Of Fledglings and Freshmen was published recently in The New York Times, and she joins me to talk about her program “Birding to Change the World” and how birding can be a salve in this age of environmental anxiety.

Also, the most metal birds, and a few outstanding questions from a recent What’s This Bird Live Q&A session.