Join in-person in the library or online for a presentation by Sussex Bird Club member and Master Naturalist Janet Peterson. In 2023 she published her book, From the Arctic Circle to Zambia and Exotic Places in-Between: Memoirs of a Foreign Service Spouse Who is Also a Birdwatcher! Through the lens of diplomacy and bird watching, this memoir delves into cultural diversity, adventure, and unexpected life twists. Peterson's talk will focus on the birds she saw in Cameroon.

Before she was a birder, Janet Peterson was a Regional Sales Director for General Nutrition Centers, covering a three-state territory, and routinely worked eighty to ninety hours per week. She took up birding as a much-needed break from her busy schedule. She met and married Jon, a National Marine Fisheries Service biologist. They adopted a six-month-old boy and Jon made a mid-life career change, joining the State Department. They spent the next twenty years in bird-friendly countries like Cameroon, Costa Rica, and Zambia. Janet worked at most embassies, sometimes as the Community Liaison Office Coordinator, who welcomed newcomers to the embassy and coordinated field trips. Over the years, Janet sent letters, then later emails, to family and friends about their adventures and misadventures. She finally compiled those stories into her book. When they retired, Janet and Jon bought an old fixer-upper Victorian in Georgetown, keeping them busier than when they had real jobs. They also volunteer at Tri-State Bird Rescue.

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 the library.

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.