Latest Your birding story Podcast Episodes

Episode 013 - Be Do Have or Have Do Be?

Tools For Tools with Ninja & The Birdman - June 27, 2020 14:00 - 20 minutes ★★★★★ - 13 ratings
We are all struggling during this pandemic, and Tom and Hardee are again finding that hobbies (both old and new) are crucial to keeping the mind and body occupied. But what is a hobby exactly? Does one need to immerse themselves fully in order to call it as such, or can it be something ...

Episode 012 - Like A Hair In A Biscuit

Tools For Tools with Ninja & The Birdman - June 10, 2020 14:00 - 26 minutes ★★★★★ - 13 ratings
It's been almost 6 months since there's been an episode of Tools For Tools with Ninja & The Birdman. In this catch-up episode, Tom and Hardee talk about what they've been doing during the pandemic to keep their businesses (and minds) afloat and how those changes have affected them perso...

Geoff Heeter

Your Birding Story - April 04, 2020 14:00 - 17 minutes
Geoff Heeter is the cofounder of the New River Birding and Nature Festival as well as the 501(c)(3) The Fayette County Education Fund that the festival helps support by providing hands on nature based-programming and leadership training for the community. He is also the owner of Opossu...

Paul Riss

Your Birding Story - March 20, 2020 14:00 - 28 minutes
Paul has been a birder since the age of 11. He took a hiatus from ages 13-17 because it wasn’t very "cool". How wrong he was! Paul is currently in the midst of filming a documentary about birding with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and is on the board of directors for The America...

Episode 011 - The Pied Piper

Tools For Tools with Ninja & The Birdman - January 20, 2020 15:00 - 22 minutes ★★★★★ - 13 ratings
Tom has been super busy with his D-Town Bird Club, spreading the awareness of the therapeutic value of birding, and getting Your Birding Story off the ground. It's taking a toll on him, as you can hear in this episode, but in typical Birdman fashion he cannot be stopped. It's a lot to t...

Episode 010 - Tenth Episode Retrospective

Tools For Tools with Ninja & The Birdman - January 05, 2020 19:00 - 25 minutes ★★★★★ - 13 ratings
What started as an outdoors-themed podcast with an emphasis on mindfulness has become more of a story about the life journeys of hosts Tom Ferguson and Hardee Merrit. For this look back on the podcast's growth, the fellas are joined by the third member of the band, producer Jon Gregory....

Episode 009 - New Blood

Tools For Tools with Ninja & The Birdman - December 10, 2019 17:00 - 21 minutes ★★★★★ - 13 ratings
When you start a new hobby or business or job there can be a transition period where you feel like a bit of a poser. There are also those who don't have the credentials yet feel like they have truly become the thing they emulate. Tom talks about what it has been like breaking into the b...

Episode 008 - Mind Over Matter?

Tools For Tools with Ninja & The Birdman - November 12, 2019 18:00 - 20 minutes ★★★★★ - 13 ratings
Tom finally did it. After 35 years, he quit smoking. But when a friend implies that his methods were too drastic, Tom decides he has a thing or two to say about "mind over matter". Today's episode delves into why we need tools to assist our minds when overcoming challenges. Tom gets pas...

Episode 007 - Fanny Packs Are Optional

Tools For Tools with Ninja & The Birdman - October 13, 2019 16:00 - 19 minutes ★★★★★ - 13 ratings
In a return to form, Ninja & The Birdman discuss recent retreats they've been on, Tom having just returned from a managerial team build in the woods and Hardee fresh from a scouting mission in Hawaii. Tom shares details about leading his first sweat lodge while Hardee entertains us with...

Episode 006 - Integrity

Tools For Tools with Ninja & The Birdman - September 11, 2019 22:00 - 21 minutes ★★★★★ - 13 ratings
In this episode, a noticeably pensive Tom is hung up on the notion of integrity. How do we lose it? And how can we get it back? A discussion of selling out in the food industry is followed by a tale of tobacco farming, a hammock review, and an uplifting story about a Golden Eagle.  Fea...

Episode 005 - Discipline/Motivation

Tools For Tools with Ninja & The Birdman - August 04, 2019 19:00 - 21 minutes ★★★★★ - 13 ratings
With "discipline" and "motivation" being the buzz words for this episode, Ninja & The Birdman's conversation centers around Hardee's recent trip to Japan. Topics include classical cooking educations, seeking modern culinary innovations, a comparison of cooking to martial arts, a reflect...

Episode 004 - Find Time For Your Family

Tools For Tools with Ninja & The Birdman - July 09, 2019 16:00 - 16 minutes ★★★★★ - 13 ratings
Even though Ninja & The Birdman are constantly pushing for their listeners to immerse themselves in their hobbies and interests, it's also important to remember the other people in your life who may or may not share your same passions. Your family is who you have to answer to at the end...

Episode 003 - A Little Help From Your Friends

Tools For Tools with Ninja & The Birdman - June 24, 2019 15:00 - 21 minutes ★★★★★ - 13 ratings
Whether it's a hobby or a path to recovery or something entirely different, what keeps us coming back? What helps us persevere as we make progress toward learning a new skill or even just making discoveries about ourselves? Hardee and Tom would argue that the friendships made along the ...

Episode 002 - Enjoy Your Exercise

Tools For Tools with Ninja & The Birdman - May 25, 2019 16:00 - 19 minutes ★★★★★ - 13 ratings
Even though Hardee and Tom are as active as you might think, it's not necessarily about the exercise for them. Or is it? Getting down and dirty with something that you might enjoy but also keeps you fit is an important tool in being healthy and ready to face life's challenges. The guys ...

Episode 001 - Shoot Your Shot

Tools For Tools with Ninja & The Birdman - May 10, 2019 13:00 - 23 minutes ★★★★★ - 13 ratings
This episode's theme is "mindful marksmanship". Hardee and Tom reflect on their passions for shooting and photography, discuss the meditative aspects of both, and break down their favorite gear. Also: birds. Lots of birds. Learn more about Tom's guide Paul Bithorn http://crowdandcloud....

Episode 000 - Intro

Tools For Tools with Ninja & The Birdman - April 30, 2019 21:00 - 20 minutes ★★★★★ - 13 ratings
Welcome to Tools For Tools, a podcast where a couple of self-proclaimed "tools" share the tips and tricks they've learned to lead a more mindful and meditative lifestyle. Focusing predominantly on the themes of birding, martial arts, nature, and meditation, hosts Hardee Merrit (aka Ninj...