Category: Blog

Food Forest Regeneration Brings Back Birds and Habitat for all Species

I am super excited about the book my daughter Jean Pullen has written that will be published on March 11th. I’ve visited her small Regenerative Agriforestry farm, and can vouch for the fact that their techniques for growing amazing quantities of food in a way that provides habitat for birds, animals and the entire ecosystem is not just possible, but practical. Her book talks about this and a whole lot more. You can go to the Regenerate Your Reality web site to buy your copy by clicking on the hotlink in this sentence. Following is a brief article written by Jean to tell about her passion and the general topic of the book:

A Discussion of Regenerative Agroforestry by Jean Pullen
“As an alumni soil advocate from Kiss the Ground, I was inspired to write my book, Regenerate Your Reality, and continue expanding the @JungleProjectCR mission all about Trees, Training, and Trade. I have felt called to environmentalism since a young age. In 2017, I moved to Costa Rica to follow my passion for nature, permaculture, agroforestry, and community.

Now I am teaching soil advocacy to children and recently activated a monthly webinar series about regeneration in every way. I believe we can be part of the solution to the climate crisis, and that we all can play our part by living regeneration and coming back to our essence of love.” –
— Jean Pullen

AGROFORESTRY IS THE MOST POWER TOOL FOR REGENERATION, CREATING LOTS ABUNDANCE AND RESPECT FOR ALL THE SPECIES ON THIS PLANET.
Planting trees creates so much abundance, because once the trees start fruiting, you can easefully feed birds, animals, your neighbors, your community, and yourself. Planting trees will help your family and community today and support generations to come. We have regenerated cow pasture lands where we saw very few birds to then see abundant agroforests with native plants and flowers where birds are back.

Agroforestry
“Agroforestry . . . is a holistic agricultural management system that integrates trees, shrubs, and edible perennial plants to provide multiple crops resistant to pests and diseases.ˮ
—Craig R. Elevitch and Diane Ragone

Something that we have learned through the Jungle Project is that one breadfruit tree can meet a family’s carbohydrate needs for many generations.

Jungle Project & Breadfruit, The Tree of Life
Breadfruit is a key part of traditional Pacific agroforestry systems, many of which have since been usurped by monocultures. The fast-growing, high-yield perennial trees bear fruit in just three to five years and continue producing for decades. Breadfruit also requires significantly less labor and inputs than crops like rice and wheat. Researchers believe that breadfruit, a highly nutritious source of complex carbohydrates, fiber, protein, vitamins and minerals, could be key to alleviating hunger and poverty in the tropics.

The Jungle Project Vision: A world that thrives through regenerative food forests.
Jungle Project is a regenerative enterprise dedicated to trees, training, and trade. Through the promotion of its tropical agroforestry model, Jungle Project is researching and establishing underutilized crops like breadfruit, a tree native to the Pacific Islands, with smallholder farmers to create value-added supply webs. Jungle Project supports farming communities, helps diversify farmer production and income by seeking market opportunities for harvests, and fosters the investigation and development of innovative products sourced from farmers’ edible forest gardens. Jungle Project’s Breadfruit Flour is sourced from tropical regenerative agroforestry ‘Jungles’ of Costa Rica, and is 100% gluten free.

Are you ready to get deeper into regeneration? Regenerate Your Reality?
Your Guide to Regenerative Living, Love, Happiness, & Sovereignty is available to order. Visit www.regenerateyourreality.com to learn more.

Much of the proceeds from this book will be filtered back to regenerative community-based farming models and planting trees that feed through Kiss the Ground and Jungle Project!

By Jean Pullen
Author Bio
Jean Pullen is the author of Regenerate Your Reality, a resource for those who seek regeneration in their lives and in the world. She is a partner of Jungle Project, and Soil Advocate at Kiss the Ground. In addition, she enjoys sharing her passions through holistic workshops and regenerative agriculture tours.

The Bird Banter Podcast #124 with Michael Todd


On this episode Michael Todd, the top eBird lister in Tennessee and I talk about birding his home state, his birding story, his mentors, and more.  Michael is works full time, and during the Covid pandemic has had a tremendous workload with lots of overtime, so I appreciate his taking time to do this podcast episode. I was especially pleased to talk with Todd because shortly after recording the episode Marian and I flew to Nashville, TN for a brief stop on the way to Florida to visit my brother and then on to Costa Rica to visit my daughter and son-in-law. I was really pleased to hear a bit about Tennessee birding before I got in a tiny bit of birding there.

Michael mentions several top Mississippi River floodplain hotspots in Tennessee on the episode. Here are some eBird links to those areas. 

Ensley Bottoms Maxxon Wastewater Lagoons

Tennessee NWR Big Sandy Unit

It was really fun to hear about a new place and from a birder who really knows the area well.
My brief time in Tennessee was interesting. On the first day we headed to an close to the city hotspot called Shelby Park and Bottoms. It was a windy but warm and very pleasant morning, and we managed to see 27 species, including a nice flock of Eastern Bluebirds, and overall had a nice time birding. By the next day it had turned bitterly cold, and birding was limited by temperatures at or below freezing all day long, and high winds. The only really notable bird was a Ross’s Goose in Centennial Park that has made eBird alerts nearly daily for much of the winter. We were really there to see some music and the city, and birding was secondary, so a nice trip.
I hope you enjoy hearing from Michael in this episode.
Good birding and good day!

The Bird Banter Podcast #123 with David and Dee Simpson Additional Information


On this episode I talk with David and Dee Simpson about their Florida birding, Dee’s daily blog where she posts a photo and a poem about the photo, and more.
I got my start as a birder in Florida, and tell about this briefly on the episode, and was headed to visit my brother in Florida when this episode was recorded. That prompted me to look for a Florida birder for the podcast. I have previously had David and Tammy McQuade on the podcast, who are Florida birders, but who are better known for their lower-48 big years every year recently. David is a lifelong Floridian, who has birded every county in the state, and is a wealth of information about everything about Florida birding. This comes out clearly in the episode where you’ll hear in detail about some of his birding escapades and his interest in everything about Florida natural history.
Here is a screenshot of David’s Florida eBird profile map.

As you can see the map is all red and orange, indicating a really lot of species seen in every county.

Dee is the technical expertise behind their website, and has a knack for bringing the technical aspects of birding and nature to a level where everyong can understand and enjoy the knowledge. She was really fun to talk with also.
A example of Dee’s daily posts on her blog.

David leads trips for birders in Florida, see his website for more information, primarily customized small group or individual trips. He and Dee also produce educational videos on You Tube about birding in Florida and more.

The Bird Banter Podcast #122 With Tiffany Kersten


On The Bird Banter Podcast #122 Tiffany Kersten and I talk about her record breaking Lower 48 United States birding big year, as well as her efforts to raise awareness for the safety of women in nature. During her big year she gave away over 250 personal safety devices.
Tiffany works as a personal guide in the Lower Rio Grande Valley and you can contact her either on her website Birdie Big Year: Elevating Women Birders or on her Facebook page @natureninjatours.
The record breaking species for Tiffany was fittingly found at her home turf place, the Santa Ana refuge in the Rio Grande Valley where she has worked and continues as a conservation advocate.
Hear other episodes about birders and their big years on any of these episodes:




Thanks for listening and until next time, good birding and good day!

The Bird Banter Podcast #121 with Will Brooks and Jason Vassallo Additional Information


On this episode Will, Jason and I talk about their 2021 big years. Jason did a 2021 Lower-48 States big year and Will did a 2021 Washington State Big Year. Will broke the record for Washington getting 376 species, and Jason saw the 9th highest lower 48 states total ever while visiting most states, 21 National Parks, many other areas of natural beauty, and trying to keep it fun and not too stressful. It sounds to me like both accomplished their goals exceptionally, and it was really fun to have good friends on the show to talk birding.
Below are links to related and I think interesting information.

Jason’s Instagram feed, @jason2012bigyear. Check out not just the great photos but the dialogue too.

Here is a Wikipedia page that gives more than you may want to know about birding big years. It is incredibly current and well done.

Here is a Seattle News 5 video about Will’s year.

This is a local newspaper article about Will’s big year.

This is Will’s first podcast with lots more background and here is Jason’s first podcast.

Thanks for listening and reading.
Good birding and good day!

The Bird Banter Podcast #120 with Bob Flores Additional Info.

On this episode Bob and I talk about his career with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife service, his birding story and stories and more. How many birders have birded in Area 51?  My guess is not many.  His career path involved working at many of the great U.S. National Wildlife Refuges including the Loxahatchee NWR in Florida, the Wheeler NWR in Alabama, Kern NWR in California, Stillwater NWR in Nevada, and the Ridgefield and Columbia NWRs in Washington. 

While Bob was at the Columbia NWR he helped Washington birder recognize how great the Washtucna Bassett Park oasis was for migrants. Every year in late August and the first half of September birders find eastern vagrants there, and Bob was one of the earlier regulars to haunt the area.

Ridgefield NWR is a great birding spot. Every winter I love to visit to see the Sandhill cranes, Tundra Swans, waterfowl, and raptors there. It is one of the regular places to find Red-shouldered Hawk in WA. The dusky race of the Canada Goose is there in good numbers too.

How many birders have birded on Area 51? Bob didn’t have to storm the area, he got permission to do a breeding bird atlas survey there. (spoiler- no extraterestials on his list) Hear about it on the episode, or just hear the snip of that time here.

Bob also was an early organizer and advocate for the Othello Sandhill Crane Festival.

Bob encouages birders to ask their senators Here are contacts for the WA Senators and Representative of that area. 

Senator Patty Murray
Murray.senate.gov
Vancouver Office (360) 696-7797
Seattle Office (866) 481-9186

Senator Maria Cantwell
Cantwell.senate.gov
Vancouver Office (360) 696-7838
Seattle Office (206) 220-6400

Representative Jaime Herrera Beutler
Jhb.house.gov
Vancouver Office (360) 695-6292
Washington DC Office (202) 225-3536

Thanks for listening.  

Read more on the  Birdbanter.com  blog. 

Until next time, good birding and good day!

The Bird Banter Podcast #119 with Michael and Paula Webster Additional Info.

On episode #119 I talk with Paula and Michael Webster. They are a couple who spent 5 years traveling around South America in a pop-up Toyota camper van, birding, making films, supporting conservation causes, and generally having the adventure of a lifetime. You’ll hear a bit about the year on this episode, but will be able to read much more in the soon-to-be-released book The Condor’s Feather: Traveling Wild in South America which you can preorder in the U.K. at Waterstones or in the U.S. on Amazon. I’ve already ordered my copy.

On the episode Michael and Paula talk about Buff-breasted Sandpipers. They are a species that is anticipated but not often seen in Washington. When we do see them it is almost always a juvenile bird in the fall. We saw this one this year in King County.\

If you want to see some great video of the trip here are some You Tube films by Paula.
Tango in the wind is a 30 minute fabulous video of the courtship rituals of the Hooded Grebe, one of the most endangered birds in South America. It is spectacular!

To see about their vehicle and trip check this out:

Here is some of the scenery of the Andes.

Thanks for following and listening.
Until next time; Good birding and good day!

The Bird Banter Podcast #118 with Jim Danzenbaker Additional Info.


I’ve been hoping to have Jim Danzenbaker on the podcast for some time, and finally made it happen now. Jim has been involved in Washington state birding for a couple of decades, has served as WOS president, is a long time pelagic trip leader for Westport Seabirds, and yet is likely better known outside the state.
Jim has been an active guide on Antarctic Peninsula cruises for Cheeseman Ecology Safaris for many years, and has led trips in Latin America for other tour companies. He is an accomplished pelagic birder and trip leader not just in WA but all along the west coast of the U.S. and abroad.
In addition Jim gathers information about all of the Christmas Bird Counts in Washington and posts this information on the WOS website here.
You can find Jim annually at the Rio Grand Bird Festival as a trip leader, and are likely to run across him if you get out birding anywhere in SW Washington.
You can reach out to Jim by phone 360 – 702 – 9395 or by email jdanzenbaker-at-gmail dot- com
Thanks for listening and good birding. Good day!

The Bird Banter Podcast #117 with Joe Morlan additional info.

On this episode Joe Morlan and I talk about his multifaceted birding story. Joe has been a big part of the California birding community for several decades. You can read about some aspects of his career on the Who Was Who In California Birding website by Dan Roberson. Joe also has his own website with lots more links to articles about him and lots more here.

Joe taught birding classes at the College of San Francisco for over 40 years. I couldn’t decide whether to laugh or just be amazed when Joe told me it took 8 years to finish his course. Joe took the solid science and research based background that may have been developed while studying physics at MIT to his adult ed classes. He was old school, continuing to use slides rather than digital formats for his classses to the very end, just prior to Covid shutdowns.

Joe served on the California bird records committee, served as chairperson for 3 years, and now continues to contribute as webmaster. You can see the website at California Birds

Joe has published many articles on birds, a huge list is available on his website. Joe was influenced by the Ernst Mayr book Animal Species Evolution, which you can find at uesd bookstores online easily.

Thanks for listening and for your support.

Good birding and good day!

The Bird Banter Podcast #116 with Charlie Wright additional info


For close to 3 decades I’ve watched with joy and marvel as my guest Charlie Wright has grown from a precocious child birder in our county to a respected, talented and extraordinary leader of our birding community.
Charlie was involved with eBird from its very early days, with his first eBird list in 2006, and you can see his earliest eBird list, put in at a later date from his prior checklist, where he lists his spark bird Western Tanager which started it all for Charlie.

Western Tanager male

He went on to become one of the first if not the first eBird regional reviewer for WA, and he has been instrumental in refining the filters and hotspots in WA on eBird. Charlie notes eBird as a project to support for birders, and you can see how to do that here.
Charlie talks about his work on research ships, his work on Alaskan Islands banding passerines, his work with Kitlitz Murrelet. Imaging racing in a small boat in the ocean off Alaska to capture a small murrelet off the water in the dark! Then flying in a helicopter to find their nests high on glaciers, and exploring Peregrine Falcon nests to see if the murrelets are being eaten by the falcons! Cool stuff.
Charlie is the data reviewer for COASST, a program for surveying the dead birds that are found on the Pacific coast beaches.
As always thanks for listening and reading.
Good birding and good day!