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!

If you have admired the appearance of Bird Watcher’s Digest, it is Bruce Wunderlich, our production director, who should get the credit. Bruce lays out each issue of BWD and its sister publication, Watching Backyard Birds, places the ads and photos, builds the table of contents, and otherwise assembles each issue. He is also a professional and award-winning bird photographer, and many of his magnificent photos appear on the pages of both magazines. He also contributes the Birdtography column in each issue of BWD. Listen in as BWD editor Dawn Hewitt interviews her colleague and friend in this episode of Out There with the Birds.

Ryan Wickiser is a field biologist who has studied California spotted owls in Eldorado National Forest. This work enabled him to become intimately acquainted with this rarely seen species. He gets to know them so well, in fact, that he’s able to identify them by their unique hoot patterns! Kelly Ball, advertising sales director for Bird Watcher’s Digest and Redstart Birding, recently chatted with Ryan. They discussed how forestry and conservation practices have evolved over time; why barred owls are considered an invasive species in the Pacific Northwest; and the other species, such as northern goshawks and great gray owls, that he surveys as part of his work as a wildlife technician.