What People Do

Episode 2: Theresa Entriken on birding

I worked with Theresa Entriken, DVM, for many years at a company that offered magazines, websites, podcasts, educational products and national conferences to veterinarians and their team members. But I wanted to come at this veterinarian from a tangent: birdwatching.
While an avid hiker, Theresa says she glommed onto the hobby from her husband (also a veterinarian).
“Hiking, I do like to do for exercise, you cover a lot of ground,” she says. “When I hike with my husband, it’s a lot slower, because you tend to stop and look at things you see fluttering in the trees. And I do like to bird by ear, observing what’s in your environment and just putting the images to the sounds.”
Imagine, then, hiking … only with an intense curiosity constantly pricking up your ears your eyes scanning the trees and the skies, your ears listening and your footsteps falling more gently to catch a distant bird call. Theresa’s thoughtful, measured voice puts me perfectly in mind to imagine a crisply cold, quiet birdwatching trip in a Minnesota bog.
“It’s slowing down and taking notice of what’s around you,” she says. “[Birds] are these biological works of art that are just available for you to enjoy.”
Found out what a “life bird” is, whether birdwatching is ever not relaxing but frustrating, and why Theresa is fired up about suburban backyard plants for conservation.
Want to know more?
Yes, scientists think birds are descended from dinosaurs. Cool, right?
What locations does Theresa mention? Sax-Zim Bog in Minnesota (check out their friends page on Facebook or their website), Lyon State Fishing Lake in Kansas (website) and Loess Bluffs (website) and Marais des Cygnes, the latter two both in Missouri (website).
What are some specific animal species she mentions? American Three-Toed Woodpecker (photos), Barred Owl (photos), Boreal Owl (photos), Gray Fox (photos), Great Gray Owl (photos), Great Horned Owl (photos), Long-eared Owl (photos), Northern Hawk Owl (photos) and Spectacled Owl (photos).
Theresa talks about a birding database, a cool citizen science and hobby app, at eBird.org.
What does a birdwatcher’s list – their version of a personal avian bingo card – look like? If you want it prepackaged for you, maybe something like this.
The coolest toy, of course, as Theresa says, is binoculars. Pick up a cheap pair at retail to get started. If you really get into it, then you can invest hundreds of thousands of dollars in a stellar pair of binoculars or even a scope on a tripod.
Theresa’s enthusiasm about birding got me to start reading a book that’s been on my bookshelves for more than a year.
Last but not least, Theresa says folks interested in wildlife and birdwatching should check out their state’s conservation magazines. Here’s a sampling I found searching on the internet right now:
Outdoor Alabama (website)
Alaska Fish & Wildlife News (website)
Arizona Wildlife Views (website)
Arkansas Wildlife (website)
Colorado Outdoors (website)
Connecticut Wildlife (website)
Outdoor Delaware (website)
Outdoor Indiana (website)
Iowa Outdoors (website)
Kansas Wildlife & Parks Magazine (website)
Kentucky Afield (website)
Louisiana Conservationist (website)
The Maryland Natural Resource (website)
Massachusetts Wildlife (website)
Minnesota Conservation Volunteer (website)
Mississippi Outdoors (website)
Conservation Magazine in Missouri (website)
Montana Outdoors (website)
Nebraskaland (website)
New Hampshire Wildlife Journal (website)
New Mexico Wildlife (website)
New York State Conservationist (website)
Wildlife in North Carolina (website)
North Dakota Outdoors (website)
Wild Ohio Magazine (website)
Outdoor Oklahoma (website)
Pennsylvania Wildlife (website)
Wild Rhode Island Journal (website)
South Carolina Wildlife (website)
South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks Conservation Digest (website)
The Tennessee Conservationist (website)
Texas Parks & Wildlife (website)
Virginia Wildlife (website)
Wisconsin Natural Resources (website)
Wyoming Wildlife (website)
Miscellaneous
Anthropocene (website)
Audubon (website)
Defenders of Wildlife (website)
Mother Earth News (website)
Nature Conservancy Magazine (website)
National Parks Magazine (website)
National Wildlife (website)
Sierra (website)
Spire: The Maine Journal of Conservation and Sustainability (website)

Episode 1: Rachel Rilinger does music therapy

For my debut episode, I introduce to you both good and bad. Let’s start with the bad. I ask board-certified music therapist Rachel Rilinger questions from a distant location, which is really right across the table from her, but apparently I, as a grown adult, can’t manage my settings on my microphone. But you didn’t want to hear from me. The good part of this episode is all the great stuff from Rachel! 
We kick things off with Rachel by talking about certification for music therapy. Don’t stop here. Keep going. She respects the education and the work of her chosen profession, which she reveals she’s been excited to do since she was 15 years old. Then we get into what’s really amazing about music therapy, how it helps with mental illness, rehabilitation, chronic conditions – with everything where music can be a modality to heal and help. 
You’ll hear Rachel’s origin story and feel her intense passion for the work. You’ll even get a little about the neurology behind music and why it can do things other therapy and treatment can’t. And you’ll get to hear Rachel rock the autoharp. (After demonstrating the power of ascending and descending notes, she says that “in a nutshell, our brain wants to do what the music’s doing. We’re built to respond to that.” And that can be put to therapeutic use.) And, finally, Rachel touches on the mystery of life, the “why” and the spirituality behind music. Last but not least, don’t leave before Rachel tells her story about the power of music therapy. (“There are times when I felt like a magician,” she says.) 
As for the audio quality, maybe by the third of fourth episode I’ll have my crap together? Stick with me. Can you believe what amazing things people do?  
Want to know more? 
Need more details on music therapy? Maybe think you want to be one or know someone who’d make a great one? Want to see the definition of music therapy Rachel likes? Want to hear about legislation in your states that supports the professionalizing of board-certified music therapists? Want to find a music therapist? Find out about this profession from the American Music Therapy Association.
Rachel plays an autoharp in this episode and explains why it’s amazing. Here’s more on this cool instrument.
And, yes, the Tibetan Book of Living and Dying has Rachel’s frog story. (It’s on page 42 here.) 

Episode prequel: Brendan Howard tries to make podcasts

I had an amazing interview with Jahmal Brown, somebody who gets people and games and nerd culture and is an all-around exciting person to bounce ideas off of. I even got to meet his awesome dog. And my own user error scuttled it all. So. Yeah. His website is madjayzero.com. Check it out.