Join The Sussex Bird Club for a presentation by John C. Rumm entitled "Band Of Birders: The Boys of the Bronx County Bird Club and How They Revolutionized American Birding."  Almost one hundred years ago - on January 11, 1926 - nine Bronx teenagers braved bitter cold and wind-driven snow to participate in the 1925 Christmas Bird Count. When the day was done, they’d tallied 68 species—the highest total in the Northeast and only two shy of the top count in the nation that year. They’d even surpassed the tally of a team led by Ludlow Griscom, widely regarded as the country’s most expert birdwatcher. Active only since 1924, the Bronx County Bird Club was clearly a force to be reckoned with. And, over the next two decades, those boys of the BCBC would come to revolutionize American birding. Along with tracing the BCBC’s history, this presentation will focus on four members—Roger Tory Peterson, Joseph J. Hickey, Allan Cruickshank, and William Vogt—whose accomplishments earned them special distinction.

A birdwatcher since he was 5, John C. Rumm earned a BA in history of science at Ohio State University and did his graduate work at the University of Delaware, earning a Master’s and a doctorate in American history and a certificate in Museum Studies. Prior to retiring in 2021, John worked in a range of museums and historical organizations, including the Smithsonian Institution, the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, the Buffalo Bill Center of the West in Cody, Wyoming, and the Nemours Estate in Wilmington, Delaware. John has published articles and delivered numerous talks on the histories of birding and ornithology. He is currently at work on a book-length study, The Unsung Revolution: How the (Re)discovery of the Living Bird Transformed Our Relationship with Nature. John and his wife, Carolyn (Lyn) Stallings, whom he married in 1981, have enjoyed traveling and birded through much of the United States, as well as Costa Rica and parts of Europe.  

The Sussex Bird Club's primary objective is to promote the knowledge and enjoyment of wild birds through guided field trips and monthly meetings about various aspects of birding. Meetings are open to all and beginning birders are always welcome.

NOTE: this session is available to attend in-person or through Zoom. You MUST REGISTER and indicate which you prefer.

If you need assistance with registration or getting your Zoom invitation, please email us.

Basic written instructions for using Zoom may be found here and a brief video tutorial may be found here. Closed captioning is available for all our sessions. Information on enabling closed captioning in Zoom may be found here.