Holly Merker is a professional birding guide, writer, and public speaker, who specializes in delivering nature-based wellness programming using birds.

Holly has a background in art therapy, but today accesses birds and nature to achieve the same result of mental, physical, and emotional wellbeing through her work with people of all ages.

She has served as Pennsylvania’s “state coordinator” for Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s eBird since 2005, and was Chair and a two-term Voting Member of the Pennsylvania Ornithological Records Committee. Holly is passionate about connecting the next generation to birds and nature, fostering conservation leaders while directing and facilitating many youth birding programs.

Holly is a breast cancer survivor who credits Ornitherapy in helping save her life. Holly used mindful birdwatching —Ornitherapy — in concert with conventional treatments, restoring and maintaining good health, both mentally and physically. Watching birds grounded and inspired her, and gave her a renewed perspective on life and survival. She believes that anyone can benefit from Ornitherapy if they are open to it.

In addition to Ornitherapy, Holly coauthored “The Power of Birdwatching/Die Kraft Der Vogel Beobachtung” © Freya verlag, 2023, with Dr. Angelika Nelson.

In 2022, she was the recipient of the Conservation and Education Award by the American Birding Association.

Richard Crossley is an internationally acclaimed birder, photographer, and award winning author of ‘The Crossley ID Guide’ series. Born in Yorkshire, Richard first visited Cape May, NJ after graduating with a B.S.C. in Environmental Sciences. He moved there in 1991 after falling in love with the birding and town.

After 20 years of hiding in the business world while raising his family. Richard created a number of personal initiatives and challenges to move birding and conservation forward in America. After co-authoring The Shorebird Guide, Richard created The Crossley ID Guide series. Richard also believes that understanding the big picture of nature leads to a more interesting and healthier mental outlook for all of us (hence Ornitherapy).

Richard is also co-founder of the global birding initiative Pledge to Fledge, Race4Birds and The Cape May Young Birders Club. He has contributed to most major birding publications, is frequently heard on radio and is a highly sought-after public speaker. He served on the board of directors at Hawk Mountain Sanctuary. He firmly believes that everyone is a closet-birder; it’s time to bring everybody out and into nature for a healthier mind and a healthier way to live.

crossleybooks.com

Sophie Crossley started her writing career early with a publication in Ranger Rick Magazine at 11 years old, and continued on to pursue a degree in Communication Studies and Marketing from The College of New Jersey.

Her first published book is Ornitherapy: For Your Mind, Body, and Soul, although she previously contributed to The Crossley ID Guide: Waterfowl. An avid nature and wellness enthusiast, Sophie completed her Freediving Instructor Trainer Course in Thailand in 2020. She aspires to cultivate better wellbeing and environmental consciousness through practices such as Ornitherapy, freediving, and mindfulness.

When not in the ocean, Sophie can be found writing for her blog (sophiecrossley.co.uk), practicing yoga, learning something new, or planning her next global adventure.