Walk-in program, no registration required.
Date: Wednesday November 13th
Time: 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM
Location: Pavilion, 715 Camino Lejo
Cost: FREE
Long to-do lists, digital demands, life can be busy! Join us as speaker Holly Merker talks about when we allow birds and nature to slow us down, we are practicing “selfcare”. Research shows that connecting with wild birds and nature actively reduces stress, depression, and anxiety, while helping build a stronger heart and immune system.
The observation of wild birds offers the perfect gateway into deeper experiences with nature to maximize these benefits. Through observation, we can learn not only about birds but gain insight into our own lives while exploring our connection to the world around us. This fosters stewardship and bolsters conservation.
Within the program, we’ll delve into our connections to wild birds, how to maximize the wellness benefits of observation, and learn about the latest research surrounding the impact of nature on human health and why we need birds for overall wellbeing.
ABOUT HOLLY MERKER
Holly Merker is a nature-based wellness specialist, professional birding guide, author, and lecturer who provides programming for people of all ages. Combining backgrounds in art therapy, nature and forest therapy, wellness counseling, mindfulness practice, and bird identification, she is a global advocate for the practice of Mindful Birding. She has co-authored two books which guide readers into optimizing the wellness benefits birds provides us, including the award-winning Ornitherapy: For Your Mind, Body, and Soul (Crossley Books, 2021), and The Power of Birdwatching (Die Kraft Der Vogel Beobachtung, Freya verlag, 2023 – available in Europe only). Holly is also co-host of the Mindful Birding Podcast and founder of the Mindful Birding Network.
In 2022, Holly was honored to be the recipient of the ABA Conservation and Education Award given by the American Birding Association for her work in both those areas involving birds.
In her free time, Holly spends every possible moment practicing Ornitherapy, which she credits in helping defeat breast cancer, restoring her health mentally and physically.
Cancellation Policy: Santa Fe Botanical Garden reserves the right to cancel programs at its discretion. Programs will run as scheduled, regardless of weather, unless participants are contacted directly by Garden Staff either by phone or email.
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