Rachel Davis is a lifelong lover of the outdoors and a native of the New River Gorge region of West Virginia. A self-proclaimed “girl of the woods”, Rachel has enjoyed West Virginia’s New River Gorge as her backyard throughout her lifetime. She currently serves as a Co-Coordinator of the New River Birding & Nature Festival and manages all communications for the festival. She lives with her fiancé in a cabin in the woods in West Virginia, and enjoys hiking the deer trails, raising chickens, and drinking in the wonderful wildlife that surrounds her in all seasons. Join Rachel and Wendy Clark, BWD’s publisher, as they chat about the upcoming New River Birding & Nature Festival taking place in late April of this year, and the juiciest secret you may not be aware of: You can participate in this year's virtual festival for FREE! Posted Fri, 16 Apr 2021.

Located in Lake Jackson, Texas, Gulf Coast Bird Observatory (GCBO) was established almost 25 years ago by a few different conservation groups and two oil companies. GCBO’s mission is simple yet daunting: to protect the birds and their habitats around the Gulf of Mexico and beyond.

Through education, long-term conservation studies, and awarding grants for conservation-focused land acquisition projects in all Gulf Coast states from Florida to Texas, GCBO is doing tremendous work on behalf of the millions of birds that inhabit or pass through the migration pathways along the Gulf of Mexico. Kelly Ball, advertising sales director, had the good fortune recently to chat about all of this and more with GCBO's education and outreach manager, Celeste Silling. You won't want to miss this conversation—plus Celeste shares details about GCBO's upcoming virtual Bird Bash this May! This episode is sponsored by the Gulf Coast Bird Observatory.

Grab the Kleenex: This is the final episode that TBL host Bill Thompson, III, recorded before succumbing to pancreatic cancer on March 25, 2019. Bill interviews Mark S. Garland, a naturalist who has been sharing his enthusiasm for nature for over 40 years. He is also the 2019 recipient of the Paul Bartsch Award for Distinguished Contributions to Natural History. Bird Watcher’s Digest subscribers will recognize him as the author of “Birders Question Mark,” a Q&A column that has featured in the magazine since 2015. Mark reveals what sparked his interest in nature and birds early in life, and how it evolved throughout his lifetime. He ends with advice for aspiring naturalists: Be persistent, follow your heart, and in the end, it will all work out! Posted Thu, Aug 29 2019.

While appreciating a flock of Atlantic brant in Rhode Island one winter, columnist Julie Zickefoose reflects on the passing folks who seem to not even notice the little gabbling geese, and how being a bird appreciator can sometimes be a lonely stint. Featured in the March/April 2021 issue of Bird Watcher's Digest. Posted Mon, 22 Mar 2021.