We hope you will be joining us at RTPI on January 21 at 7:00PM EST for Paul J. Baicich presenting “Bird Feeding in America: A Story of Wild Birds, Innovation, and Conservation”. This is the first of our 2014 Speaker Series.
Paul has been an active birder since his early teens in New York City. A former employee of the American Birding Association, he edited 14 of their “ABA Birdfinding Guides,” edited Birding, ABA’s bi-monthly magazine, and served as ABA’s Director of Conservation and Public Policy. His concerns include an abiding interest in bird conservation and studies in the breeding biology of North American birds. In this last regard, he has co-authored (with the late Colin Harrison) A Guide to the Nests, Eggs, and Nestlings of North American Birds (1997). Paul also has co-led a number of birding tours and workshops to Alaska. These Alaska destinations include the Aleutians, the Pribilofs, the Seward Peninsula, and St. Lawrence Island. Among his many other activities, he has recently worked for the National Wildlife Refuge System on a consultant basis on issues of popular birding and parallel refuge receptiveness. Recently he has worked with co-authors on two books which await publication, one on the history of bird feeding the other on North America waterfowl. In addition, Paul co-edits (with Wayne Petersen) the popular monthly Birding Community E-bulletin.
Americans have been feeding wild birds for over 100 years, but very few people have followed the history and development of that popular pastime. It’s a surprise, since over 55 million American engage in some level of backyard bird feeding. In this presentation, you will learn how bird feeding evolved, from decade to decade, and you will get insights into little-known stories of feeding development. These include the invention of the hopper feeder, the “discovery” and use of such seeds as black oil sunflower and Nyjer, the creation of the tube feeder, and why hemp (popular through the 1920s) is no longer fed to birds. Most importantly, you will learn to connect the past with current developments in bird feeding, including the “top ten bird foods for bird feeding” and the “five steps to double the number of bird species at your feeders.” The talk will be presented by Paul Baicich one of the co-authors (with Margaret Barker and Carrol Henderson) of an upcoming book on the same subject.
Please visit us for this special evening and enjoy our current exhibits including Bob Hines: National Wildlife Artist.
Scott Kruitbosch
Conservation and Outreach Coordinator
