O R N I T H E R A P Y in the P R E S S

By Sandy Bauers (For The Inquirer)

Holly Merker is convinced that all the times she went birding while she was undergoing treatment for an aggressive breast cancer provided more than temporary solace.

She believes that birding helped her beat the disease.

Twenty years later, the well-known Chester County birder has published Ornitherapy: For Your Mind, Body and Soul.

The book, published in 2021, has photos by bird photographer Richard Crossley, a longtime Cape May resident who now lives in Florida and California. Also contributing content and design expertise was his daughter, Sophie Crossley, now a free-dive instructor in Nicaragua.

These days, Merker is making the rounds to talk about her book and promote its philosophy. She's also studying to be a certified nature and forest therapy guide.

Is ornitherapy a new term? What does it mean?

It's not a new concept. People have been practicing these deeper connections with nature for their therapeutic benefit for thousands of years. Indigenous people were very well-practiced at it.

The first reference I found to the term was in a 1979 British Journal of Medicine article by a Dr. A.F. Cox. …. “

The Surprising Health Benefits of Bird-Watching

by Erik Vance

Spending time outdoors with a pair of binoculars is good for your body and soul.

What’s Ornitherapy

by Monica McQuail

Feature article on Ornitherapy and a presentation given by Holly Merker to the Grass River Garden Club in Delray Beach, Florida

Ornitherapy featured :

“This is no surprise to Holly Merker, a professional birding guide, environmental educator, and author of Ornitherapy. “I’ve noticed more people are turning to bird-watching as a form of self care for mental well-being,” she says. “Whether this be intentional or a beneficial byproduct of turning our attention toward wild birds as casual observers, the multitude of benefits for our mental well-being are being accessed by more and more people as they discover just how easy and fun it can be to watch birds right outside their own windows or doors.”

By Rob Swindell

Cleveland Metro area

“In the book "Ornitherapy: For your Mind, Body and Soul," by Holly Merker, Rickard Crossley and Sophie Crossley, mental health benefits are further examined as a personal discovery and exploration through nature.

The beautifully constructed book includes 58 explorations, which are designed to “provide guidance in observation” and “pose many unanswered questions.” It also includes five meditations, that are constructed to “help you slow down and become mindful of the present moment,” which the authors feel is a “vital step in connecting to the world within and around us.” Included are many fantastic and inspirational quotes, such as Reginold Holmes who said, “The earth has music for those who listen.” Finally, there is room for journaling to note observations and reflections.”

Bird-watching elevates mood, decreases anxiety, WA experts say. Here’s how you can start

by Jared Gendron

“Recent studies suggest that listening to bird songs and watching the avian creatures is beneficial to mental health. Wimberger believes this connects to other reports that being in nature and viewing greenery improves mood and alleviates anxiety. There is even a term for this phenomenon: Ornitherapy, or Mindful Birding. Birder and author Holly Merker characterizes Ornitherapy as a restorative, therapeutic practice that rejuvenates the mind and spirit. She says the following tenets guide Mindful Birding: An awareness of being with birds in the moment Turning attention to birds and nature with intention Going into the experience without judgment of what will or will not happen Exploring one’s wonder and openness to experiencing awe

Read more at: https://www.thenewstribune.com/article277331353.html#storylink=cpy “

Watching Birds is Study-Proven to Dramatically Lower Stress Hormone Levels - The New Bird Feeders that Make it Easy!

by Kristina Mastrocola

“How bird watching transformed one woman’s life

Bird watching isn’t just good for your mental health and physical health – it can also lift your spirits during the most challenging time of your life, something avid birder Holly Merker, author of Ornitherapy: For Your Mind, Body and Soul knows, as she credits it with helping her beat breast cancer.

“I truly believe that watching birds played a significant role in saving my life, working in concert with the traditional treatments I received,” she says. “During this rough chapter of my life, watching birds allowed me to turn my attention away from myself, find awe in the ‘simple,’ and clear my mind. After losing my hair from chemo, I wasn’t sure what to do with it, so I offered it to the birds by putting it in a hanging feeder outside my kitchen window.

“I found so much hope in watching a titmouse carry strands away as nesting material, repurposing it for new life, and changing my perspective of that personal loss in a positive way,” Holly says. No need for fancy binoculars or a camera, she assures. “You’re already equipped with all you need: eyes, ears and a curious mind.”