Mindful Birding: Rekindling Connections with Nature
August 24 – August 28, 2025
Registration is open now for the 2025 Camp season! All campers must agree to the Camper Guidelines and Cancellation Policy. Please read this policy before registering.
The National Audubon Society is in the process of updating our health forms for the upcoming season. You will receive a notification from Camp Docs and Hog Island when health forms, required for attending Hog Island, open in February.
The deadline to pay your tuition in full and complete your registration forms is April 1, 2025.
REGISTER NOW
Find answers to frequently asked questions about lodging, transportation, schedules, packing lists, meals, and more here. For technical support with CampDoc, please visit their help page or contact support@campdoc.com.
There’s no better place to spend time decompressing and rejuvenating than Hog Island, and we are thrilled to offer this brand-new program for 2025. Centering on the restorative qualities of birds and nature, we’ll optimize the wellness benefits modern research and ancient wisdom affirms that nature provides us.
Globally recognized for its health enhancing effects, nature-based wellness programming is making a widespread splash in wellness trends. With a team of skilled and certified instructors, this session will incorporate techniques in mindful birding, nature journaling, yoga, and forest bathing (Shinrin Yoku), all within the peaceful and picturesque surroundings of Muscongus Bay.
Daily excursions on land and water will deepen our connections to birds and nature, fostering experiences of awe as we immerse in the sensations of lush forests and sandy coastlines. You’ll take away techniques that can bolster your own wellness routine and which you can share with others.
Whether you're an educator, caregiver, health professional, nature enthusiast, or just someone in need of a break from routine life, we welcome you in this rejuvenating session that will bring you relaxation, connections, and a great way to launch into autumn invigorated with renewed energy and wellbeing.
Please note, this program is shorter than a typical camp week, running from Sunday August 24 – Thursday August 25.
Pricing: $1425
The base registration fee includes meals, housing, instruction, and all field trips. This price is based on a standard shared room (with 2 twin beds) a shared bathroom. A limited number of upgraded accommodations are available for an additional cost. Two upgrade options are a single room for solo travelers or a room with a private bath for two people traveling together. There are no single rooms with private bathrooms available. Please see our lodging page for more information.
Participants must arrange their own transportation to and from the Audubon dock in Bremen at the start and end of the session. Please see our transportation page for more information.
There are several different scholarship opportunities available to help participants attend Hog Island sessions! Please see our scholarships page for more information about Hog Island Scholarships. You should also check with your local Audubon chapter or bird club for additional opportunities.
Requirements: There are no pre-requisites for this program. All skill levels are welcome.
Director:
Holly Merker has been in awe of birds and the wonders of the natural world since childhood. She shares her passion by connecting others to nature in her work as a professional birding guide and nature-based wellness specialist, award-winning author, and public speaker. Combining professional backgrounds in bird identification, art therapy, certification in nature and forest therapy and wellness counseling, and mindfulness practice, she works as a global advocate for Mindful Birding. With dedication to bird conservation, Holly has been the eBird state coordinator/data reviewer for Pennsylvania since 2005 and was a two-term voting member and Chairperson of the Pennsylvania Ornithological Records Committee. She considers herself a migration junkie and lives her life around the seasonal journeys of birds. Holly believes strongly that birding holds a key to wellbeing, co-authoring two books on this subject, and founding the Mindful Birding Network and co-hosting the Mindful Birding Podcast.
Instructors
Sabina Einstein Molander is a bilingual social worker (MSW) with a deep commitment to fostering physical and emotional well-being. As a certified yoga instructor (300 level) and forest therapist, she integrates holistic practices into her work, promoting mental, physical, and emotional balance. Through awareness, movement and presence, her therapeutical practice invites you to connect with Nature. Sabina taught Spanish in various schools and currently serves as a Spanish and study skills tutor. Additionally, she volunteers as a bilingual court advocate for victims of domestic violence, providing support and advocacy for those in need. Sabina finds joy and laughter when hiking outdoors, gardening, painting and cooking.
Rebekah Lowell is an award-winning author/illustrator and designer with a curiosity for the natural world. A homeschooling mother of two and survivor of domestic abuse, she is passionate about resiliency, freedom, and hope. She creates books for kids, designs patterns for fabric, runs an online shop, and paints live at weddings. She earned her BFA from The Rhode Island School of Design, and her MFA from Hollins University. She earned her Nature Journal Educator certificate through the Wild Wonder Foundation and is earning her certificate in Natural Science Illustration through RISD. She is also part of the 2025 Maine Master Naturalist Program. She serves on the Board for York County Audubon, transports birds for Avian Haven, and rescues monarchs from local hayfields. Rebekah teaches Graphic Design and Nature Journaling at the University of New England. She is represented by Paige Terlip at the Andrea Brown Literary Agency for all literary projects. Learn more about Rebekah and her work at www.rebekahlowell.com
NOTE: Audubon reserves the right to alter itineraries, instructors and particular arrangements, or to substitute similar itineraries or arrangements, at no penalty. If Audubon cancels a session, it will issue full refunds of all deposits or payments to the paid participants.
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