A conversation with biologist Mike Akresh about migratory songbirds and his work in the Caribbean and Central America working to study and conserve their habitat alongside local partners.
Many Americans know the seasonal rhythms of our songbird neighbors: they arrive in the spring and leave in the fall. But where do the birds go in winter? For biologist Mike Akresh, studying Kirtland’s warbler, wood thrush, and whistling warbler has led him all over the Caribbean and Central America. But the most remarkable connection are the local people he has met during this work, who have become his collaborators, students, and often powerful conservationists in their own rights. In this conversation, Mike shares about a recent trip to Rum Cay in the Bahamas, how the end of Indigenous burning practices has imperiled songbird habitat, the drama of capturing bald eagle nestlings, and much more.
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Visit the landing pages for Antioch’s MS in Environmental Studies and PhD in Environmental Studies to learn more about the programs Mike teaches in. You can learn more about his research and project on his personal website. And visit YouTube if you want to watch VC3TV’s interview with Mike, “Professors from the Antioch University are working with the forestry department in St. Vincent.”
This episode was recorded February 23, 2026 via Riverside.fm and released March 6, 2026.
The Seed Field Podcast is produced by Antioch University
Host: Jasper Nighthawk
Editor: Nastasia Green
Producer: Karen Hamilton
Work-Study Assistants: Dani LaPointe, Odin Rasco, Rylie DeGarmo, and Shayla Kerr
Additional Production Help: Amelia Bryan, Jonathan Hawkins, and Laurien Alexandre