About us
We walking and watching birds, while also learning to foster deeper, healthier connections to ourselves, others, wildlife, and the earth. Watching birds can lead to greater human satisfaction, happiness, and health. By being aware of birds, we can also grow our ability to focus and to rest in the current moment, as well as grow our compassion and justice centered behaviors to help care for ourselves, others, and the planet. Birds, humans, and the earth are in trouble and with strong connections to the living community around us, we can save ourselves and all life.
These walks aim to grow our ability to transform ourselves and our world by watching birds as an intentional mindfulness practice. This is enhanced by an emphasis on our relationships and connections to the humans who join us for the walk and the other species with whom we will interact.
Though led by renown avian conservationist, Rev. Dr. LoraKim Joyner, the hope is that we build a just and compassionate community together made up of those who respond to this form of mindfulness practice. She is the author of many books, including "Birding for Life: How to save ourselves, birds, and the planet."
Our walks will be open to spontaneous conversation, identifying birds, and enjoying their behavior while also following LoraKim's facilitation with questions, readings, and gentle nature practices.
Upcoming events
4
Sunrise Birding for Life
·OnlineOnlineThis is a regular online event whose time changes based on sunrise times in Winnsboro, South Carolina. For this week we will begin at 6:55 a.m., and you are welcome to come early and stay later.
If you can, move your device outdoors or to a place with a view of outside through a window or open door. But you can be anywhere on any device, becaue nature is everywhere and we are nature.
Our 15 minutes bird mindfulness practices include birds (duh), the rising sun, readings, reflections, silence, science, and multispecies nature pratices. You can attend live or watch the recording. Our hope is to build a restorative and transformative community. Welcome!
This practice is led by renown wild parrot veterinarian, conservationist, author, Unitarian Universalist Minister, and Certified Trainer in Nonviolent Communication: Rev. Dr. LoraKim Joyner.
Her most recent book is "Birding for Life: How to Save Ourselves, Birds, and the Planet," and our morning practice will highlight practices contained within this book.
This is a colaborative effort with One Earth Conservation, One Earth Zen, and One Earth Retreat Center. We are One Earth!
1 attendee
Unconditional Solidarity with Life - La Moskitia, Honduras
·OnlineOnlineMy dream is to see hundreds of people gathered under the towering pine trees where the macaws nest, holding their hands out and hearts open in solidarity to the biotic community so that witness may be given and life may be guarded. It is US (Unconditional Solidarity) who must live this dream and say SI (Solidaridad Incondicional) to life. - Rev. Dr.
LoraKim JoynerThis campaign includes an in-person event in La Moskitia, Honduras, and a series of online live programs from March-April 2026. To find out more, go here. Times will vary depending on the day so please fill out an Interest Form so we can send you the schedule.
One Earth Conservation has been collaborating with the communities of La Moskitia since 2010. Remarkable successes have been achieved – over a thousand macaw nests have been protected that would have otherwise been illegally poached, hundreds of rescued parrots have been returned to the wild, community members have earned livelihoods and grown their capacity to manage and conserve their territory, and a parrot sanctuary has been established. Unfortunately, the poaching pressure seems to only be increasing, and only constant patrolling and camping keep the poaching rate to about 20% of all active nests.
The long-term survivability of these parrots is tenuous as international demand for pets fuels the illegal activity and special interests increasingly illegally clear indigenous land. Rev. Dr. LoraKim Joyner, after 15 years, realizes that something more transformative and radical needs to occur. To open possibilities of a permanent and lasting shift away from ecosystem degradation and the loss of biodiversity, she will journey there in 2026 to witness to and be in unconditional solidarity with the people and parrots in Honduras.
LoraKim plans to listen deeply to the people and to join them in their patrols and nightly camping near macaw nests. Her goal is to make a vibrant and intense public demonstration and ask for your help by joining her. You can also join online as we hear from the people, get daily bird reports, discuss what unconditional solidarity looks like and how we can manifest it, and become an agent of the local conservationistsn in any way you can. You can help from home by spreading the message on social media of Unconditional Solidarity and what is happening to the parrots and people of La Moskitia, donating, and joining Facebook Live and Zoom meetings to explore themes, spiritual practices, talk to the local people, and get updates. We ask for your solidarity with the people and parrots of this region. If you would like to help, please fill out this Interest Form.1 attendee
Past events
34
