In this episode of The Spark Bird Podcast, our hosts Jenn Lodi-Smith and Janet McNally welcome Seunguk Shin, Assistant Professor at the University of Missouri's School of Natural Resources.

Seunguk shares how a Northern Cardinal became his spark bird. A moment of connection that still fuels his research, teaching, and creativity today. From developing bird and insect education projects for children to exploring how time in nature restores our attention.

Links & Resources from This Episode

📘 Read the article discussed in this episode here to learn more about Seunguk's collaborative research on birding and environmental education.

🌍 Visit the Human-Bird Interactions Project website at human-bird-interactions.nres.illinois.edu to explore videos and ongoing research related to the study.

🎧 Check out The Field Guides Podcast episode, "Put a Ring on It: All About Bird Banding", mentioned in this week's conversation.

🎬 Watch the "Bird in the Hand" video on YouTube to see the mist-netting project at Nature Day Camp 2022, a collaboration between the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the Urbana Park District.

🧠 Learn more about Dr. Seunguk Shin's research and background on his University of Missouri faculty page.

💼 Connect with Seunguk on LinkedIn to follow his latest projects and publications.

Show Notes by Kayla Gajewski

This week on The Spark Bird Podcast, hosts Jenn Lodi-Smith and Janet McNally are joined by Rosy Tucker, Program Manager at Hog Island Audubon Camp. Rosy shares how a Red Knot first ignited her love for birds and how that moment eventually led to a career as a teacher and environmental educator. From memorable classroom moments to the Atlantic Puffin Restoration Project, she reminds us that nature isn't far away, it's right in our own backyards.

Links & Resources from This Episode

🌐 Learn more about Hog Island and explore upcoming programs at hogisland.audubon.org/programs/camp.

📸 Follow Hog Island on Instagram @hogislandaudubon for stunning bird photos, updates, and camp highlights.

🪶 Discover the island's history, volunteer opportunities, and ways to get involved at hogisland.audubon.org.

Show Notes by Kayla Gajewski

In this week's episode, our hosts Jenn Lodi-Smith and Janet McNally welcome Sarah T. Dubb, a novelist whose love for birding inspired her debut book, BIRDING WITH BENEFITS. Sarah shares her journey from growing up in Tucson, Arizona, to becoming a passionate birder and writer. She discusses her process of writing and publishing her debut novel, and its adaptation into a Hallmark Plus movie, Adventures in Love & Birding.

Links & Resources from This Episode

🌐 Visit Sarah's website at www.sarahtdubb.com to learn more about her work and updates on her next novel, Honey Bee Mine, coming February 2026.

📸 Follow Sarah on Instagram @sarahtdubbwrites for updates on her work and creative inspiration.

🎬 Watch Adventures in Love & Birding now streaming on Hallmark+, or gain with the Hallmark+ BingePass!

Show Notes by Kayla Gajewski

In this week's episode, hosts Jenn Lodi-Smith and Janet McNally welcome writer, educator, and professional rock climber Pedro Hoffmeister. What began as a remembrance trip for a friend's grandfather turned into an unexpected spark bird story. Despite setbacks, Pedro embraced the adventure! He shares how spending time in nature, along with meditation and cognitive therapy, helped him slow down, observe more birds, and heal after a traumatic brain injury.

Resources & Links from This Episode

📸 You can follow Pedro to catch snapshots of him rock climbing, his daily life, and writing updates on Instagram at @pedro_hoffmeister.

🎬 He also shares videos and creative work on TikTok at @pedro_hoffmeister.

📖 To connect with him on Facebook, visit Pedro Casapardo Hoffmeister.

🌐 Learn more about Pedro and explore his books and projects on his website, pedrohoffmeister.com.

🎙️ Pedro's newest project, the American Afterlife Podcast, launches this October! Find it and follow for new episodes this Fall on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and iHeart.

Show Notes by Kayla Gajewski

In this week's episode of The Spark Bird Podcast, our hosts Jenn Lodi-Smith and Janet McNally meet with Christina Baal, a birder and artist whose story began not with a sighting, but with the quest to find a 'dandelion-colored' Yellow Warbler.

That golden spark launched a lifetime of birding and the dreams she's been chasing ever since. Inspired by Ken Kaufman's memoir, she set herself the goal of painting 10,000 birds, saying, "Ken Kaufman can do it. So can I." Today, Christina blends art and birding in joyful, unexpected ways.

Left: Christina's stunning painting of an Osprey in flight. Right: A snapshot from Christina's bird-inspired wedding, featuring her in-laws dressed as Trogons.

Resources & Links from This Episode

🖌️ Visit Christina's Website to learn more about her art and birding adventures.

🎨 Check out Christina's Art to see her whimsical paintings and bird illustrations.

💌 Support Christina on Patreon and gain access to her bird trading cards and exclusive artwork.

📚 Read Kenn Kaufman's Memoir Kingbird Highway: The Biggest Year in the Life of an Extreme Birder, the book that inspired Christina's birding journey.

Show Notes by Kayla Gajewski

In this episode of The Spark Bird Podcast, our hosts Jenn Lodi-Smith and Janet McNally are joined by Mike Sacopulos, an attorney and publisher of Bird Watcher's Digest (BWD) Magazine. Mike shares how birding brought him comfort during a challenging period of his childhood, carrying him through big life transitions and eventually leading him to BWD. They also discuss the magazine's global artwork, the letters that remind Mike of its lasting impact, and how birding with BWD creates connections across generations of readers and birders alike.

Resources & Links from This Episode

🌿 Learn more about Bird Watcher's Digest and subscribe at the BWD website.

📘 Connect with the BWD birding community on the BWD Facebook page.

🎁 Give the gift of birding! Surprise someone with a BWD subscription here.

🦆 Explore conservation efforts with Ducks Unlimited.

ℹ️ Read more about their mission on the Ducks Unlimited About page.

Show Notes by Kayla Gajewski

On this week's episode of The Spark Bird Podcast, our hosts Jenn Lodi-Smith and Janet McNally meet with celebrated naturalist and author Kenn Kaufman, whose fascination with birds began in early childhood and never faded. Inspired by richly illustrated wildlife books, Kenn developed a passion for the natural world that took him hitchhiking across North America as a teenager. He shares stories from the road, his work writing and illustrating about nature, and why community is such a vital part of birding.

Resources & Links from This Episode

🌎 Check out the Kaufman Field Guides website for more resources and inspiration to fuel your next outdoor adventure.

📖 Get to know Kenn Kaufman and the journey that's made him one of the most beloved voices in the birding world.

🚗 Take a ride through Kenn's teenage adventures in his memoir Kingbird Highway, a must-read for any nature enthusiast.

📚 Explore the Kaufman Field Guides series to sharpen your skills and see the world through fresh eyes.

🎨 Follow Kenn on Instagram for stunning art and a closer look at his creative process.

Show Notes by Kayla Gajewski

In this episode of The Spark Bird Podcast, our hosts Jenn Lodi-Smith and Janet McNally talk with Laura Marris, Visiting Assistant Professor in the English department at the University at Buffalo. Laura shares how birding with her dad as a child shaped the way she sees the world. And we discuss her book The Age of Loneliness, reflecting on the decline in bird abundance, the role of community science, and what it means to truly notice the living world around us. This conversation is about more than birdwatching; it's about presence, memory, and the quiet ways nature holds us through change.

*During the episode, Jenn mentioned a word she couldn't recall at the time, it's the Romanian word "dor," which captures a deep sense of longing or missing something you love.*

Resources & Links from This Episode

📖 Learn more about Laura's upcoming book The Age of Loneliness from Graywolf Press.

📚 Order your copy on Bookshop or listen to the audiobook on Libro.fm.

🌐 Visit lauramarris.com or follow @lauramarris for more of Laura's work.

🦉 Watch Norman Smith's The Snowy Owls of Logan Airport.

🌱 Learn about the Silo City remediation project.

🕊️ Get involved with Cornell Lab's Community Science projects.

🌳 Explore the work of the WNY Land Conservancy

🔬 Read the Science article on the loss of bird abundance.

📖 Check out the children's classic Owl Moon by Jane Yolen.

Show Notes by Kayla Gajewski