Meet your guide…
Holly Merker
Holly has a background in art therapy, but today incorporates nature and birds to achieve the same result for of mental, physical, and emotional wellness in her work as a certified Nature and Forest Therapy Guide (ANFT), certified Forest Therapy Practitioner (FT Hub), and Mindful Birding leader.
Holly pairs her professional backgrounds in art therapy and over twenty years of bird guiding and environmental education, along with coursework in MBSR, a certificate in Wellness Counseling, Mindfulness Training, and the practice of Forest Bathing to create rich sensory experiences through nature-based wellness programs customized for her clients.
Holly's gently guided experiences incorporate accessibility for all mobility levels and are designed to be welcoming and inclusive to all people. She has professional experience working with children K-12, people with dementia and age-related cognitive impairment and is comfortable working in all settings and habitats in the outdoors. After using nature, especially birdwatching, for its therapeutic benefits while undergoing treatment and recovery from breast cancer when she was a young mom, Holly is dedicated to sharing the message that birds and nature can be powerful companions in all of our wellness journeys, bolstering the body's defenses against disease and boosting mental wellbeing. Holly promotes these concepts as lead author of the award-winning book Ornitherapy: For Your Body, Mind, and Soul (Crossley Books, 2021) which guides readers into deeper and more mindful experiences in nature through birds, and as coauthor of the book Die Kraft der Vogelbeobachtung (The Power of Birdwatching) available in German-speaking EU only. Holly has a passion for community/citizen science and has been the state coordinator for the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's eBird project in Pennsylvania since 2005. She's also an avid contributor to iNaturalist, and believes that by contributing our findings in nature, we are paying forward, giving back, and benefiting our own wellbeing. When not guiding Forest Bathing or Mindful Birding experiences, you might find Holly working for National Audubon's Hog Island Camp in Maine, the American Birding Association, Hillstar Nature, or counting migrant raptors at the beautiful Hawk Mountain Sanctuary along Pennsylvania's Kittatinny ridge in fall. eBird Profile: https://ebird.org/profile/MTExOTQ/US iNaturalist Profile: https://www.inaturalist.org/people/hollycybelle
Mindful Birding Retreat: Panama
Mount Totumas Cloud Forest, Nueva California, Panama
Multi-day soothing experience nesting in the lush mountains of western Panama run by Whitehawk Birding with guest guide Holly Merker (ANFT & FT Hub certified guide/practitioner) On this retreat, Mindful Birding Network members, Marta Curti, Jenn Sinasac, and Holly Merker offer a collaborative retreat providing restorative experiences in a secluded and gorgeous setting that fosters a restorative experience with the natural world. At times we will gather for workshops on mindful birding, and plenty of time will also be available for optional mindful activities, including yoga, meditation, forest bathing, nature sketching, and free time to enjoy in nature. This 7-day mindful birding retreat is set in the lush highlands of western Panama. It is one of the best places in the world to see the extravagantly beautiful Resplendent Quetzal, as well as Black-faced Solitaire, Long-tailed and Black-and-yellow silky-flycatchers, Golden-browed Chlorophonia, Talamanca and Fiery-throated hummingbirds among more than a dozen other species of hummers, Silvery-fronted Tapaculo, Buffy Tuftedcheek, and Collared Trogon are just some of the amazing birds we can see in this region. In addition to birds, we also can revel in the beauty of native orchids, butterflies and other wildlife.
