Gwen Grace

This last year, many of us have turned to birdwatching in our backyards and out the kitchen window. The mindful birdwatching creates a connection to nature and exploration and introspection—a deeper understanding of ourselves. This leads to less stress and anxiety. This new form of therapy is called ornitherapy birdwatching.

Desert Rivers Audubon is offering a Zoom program on ornitherapy by Jim Burns, an exceptional photographer and scientist on this subject, on July 8 at 7 p.m. Burns is a contributing photographer and writer for the Desert Rivers Audubon Magazine. The magazine is available online at Desertriversaudubon.org.

To connect to the Zoom program, “Ornitherapy, Survival Through the Pandemic,” register at [email protected]. So, get out the binoculars and look for the arriving house finches, and keep an eye out for the American Kestrel, the smallest falcon—all active in Sun Lakes. Relax your mind and body!