This post appeared first in our late summer 2014 issue of Chip Notes.
The passenger pigeon, abundant beyond current imagining, is gone. What can we, did we, and will we learn from our relationship to and with this remarkable species?
In recognition of the centenary observance of the extinction of the Passenger Pigeon, the Museum features the bird’s improbable story as our special art/science exhibit for 2014, using a variety of informative and conceptual displays.
Now you can listen for “the echoes of their wings” in a conversation with author Joel Greenberg, a naturalist and author affiliated with the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum at the University of Chicago. Through the generosity of the Lucille Greenough lecture series, the Museum is delighted to be able to host Joel for his talk The Echoes of Their Wings: The Life and Legacy of the Passenger Pigeon on Wednesday, October 8th, 2014 from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. The talk will be presented on the University of Vermont campus, 207 Lafayette Hall.
Greenberg spoke at the Fairbanks Museum in March of this year, where he received high marks for his work and insights into the destruction of one species and the need to protect and promote diversity in nature. This October event, co-sponsored by the Birds of Vermont Museum and Green Mountain Audubon Society, promises to be informative and thought-provoking. We hope to hear some discussions break out well before you’ve left the venue. There is a suggested donation of $15 ($5 for students).
About Joel Greenberg
Joel Greenberg played a leading role in creating and launching Project Passenger Pigeon (http://www.passengerpigeon.org), which promotes a deeper awareness of the roles humans play in species’ extinction and in effective conservation. Serving as a research associate of the Field Museum and the Chicago Academy of Sciences Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, Greenberg’s keen interest in natural history is evident through his authorship of both A Feathered River Across the Sky and A Natural History of the Chicago Region. As a natural history educator, Greenberg has taught at the Morton Arboretum, the Brookfield Zoo, and the Chicago Botanic Garden. Please enjoy a visit to his blog at http://www.birdzilla.com/blog/.
—Allison Gergely