Accessible Birding for Mental Health Webinar
Wednesday, May 28, 2025
2:00 PM ET | 1:00 PM CT | 12:00 PM MT | 11:00 AM PT
Birding can be a powerful tool for mental health, and it should be accessible to everyone. Join Birdability for a live virtual webinar on Wednesday, May 28, 2025 at 2:00 P.M. Eastern Time to explore how birding supports emotional well-being, mindfulness, and healing, especially for people with disabilities and other health conditions, who have been historically excluded from outdoor spaces.
This conversation will feature panelists who will share findings from recent research on birding and mental health, discuss how to integrate nature-based practices into health and wellness efforts, and use birding as an essential part of a mental health journey as a person with a disability. We will be joined by:
Eric Clow: Eric is a writer and birder with Becker’s muscular dystrophy. His poems and stories have been published in the Rio Review and Aural Literature. His bimonthly newsletter Bird City News explores the joy and adventure of birding with a disability. A passion for nature permeates Eric’s writing as does a love for the strange and tiny delights that surround him—everything from the muddy nose prints his dogs leave on his windows to the prehistoric shapes of succulents.
Elizabeth Monje: A first-generation daughter of Mexican immigrants, Elizabeth Monje is a founder of Part-Time Birders and recent Master's in Social Work graduate who is passionate about clinical practice, mental health, and birding. Her Master's Thesis focused on the Perceived Benefits of Birding, through her qualitative research she found evidence that birding alleviates symptoms of anxiety and depression. Elizabeth Monje enjoys crafting, sewing, and enjoying the outdoors.
Tammah Watts: Tammah is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Certified Kripalu Mindful Outdoor Guide, birder, and an advocate for the equitable accessibility of nature, health, and mental health for all. She is the best-selling author of KEEP LOOKING UP: Your Guide to the Powerful Healing of Birdwatching. Tammah lives in San Diego, California with husband, Harrison, and their little dog Sophie Cat, and she enjoys visiting (and birding) with their children and grandchildren.
Together, we will explore how access to birds and nature can foster community, reduce stress, and offer meaningful tools for resilience.