Migratory Magic: How a Relationship with the Sky Can Change Your Life

Cultivating a relationship with the vast sky can be a catalyst for both connection and conservation. It's a cosmic collaboration that inspires hope, possibility, and celebration.

In this episode, Denver Audubon Communications Manager, Dori Edwards, talks with Emma Riley of Dinosaur Ridge Hawk Watch, a project of Denver Field Ornithologists (DFO). DFO works with Hawk Migration Association (HMA), a non-profit organization, to count migrating hawks, eagles, falcons and other raptors each spring.

Emma is a Raptor Biologist from Fort Collins, Colorado who has worked HawkWatch seasons around the country, including spending the last four as the Project Lead and Lead Counter at Dinosaur Ridge. During their conversation, Dori and Emma discuss birds of prey, why they are essential to the environment, and how community-science efforts are vital for their wellbeing.

They also explore how birds can be our teachers, wonder as a form of conservation, the importance of volunteerism, the necessity of rest, and why divesting from shame is critical to be a conduit of change.

While this year's HawkWatch season is over, we hope this episode excites you to join HawkWatch in the Spring of 2026 and encourages you to look up!