Taking Flight: A History of Birds and People in the Heart of America

Edmonds, a historian and a long-time birder, will describe how and why people in the nation’s heartland responded to the same birds that we see today. “After reading this book,” essayist B.J Hollars remarked, “you’ll never look at birds the same way. You’ll never look at humans the same way, either.” Edmonds will share stories from his 30 years of research among unpublished manuscripts, rare books, archaeological reports, and historic places. From ancient American Indian shamans to modern conservationists, our predecessors thought about and acted toward birds differently than we do. The talk will be illustrated with amazing slides of historical artifacts, entertaining anecdotes, and strange tales of explorers, scientists, voodoo priests, professional hunters, and other people who interacted with American birds.