Join us for a live, interactive presentation by John Rumm, PhD, Executive Director of the Nemours Estate, on "Identifying Versus Identifying With: A Brief History of Bird-watching, Bird Study and Birding in America."

Do you consider yourself a “birder” or a “birdwatcher”? As used today, the two terms have different connotations. “Birders” are considered hardcore, ambitious, and dedicated to keeping lists of birds they’ve seen—the longer the list, the better the birder. “Birdwatchers,” on the other hand, are viewed as less driven, less serious and more passive about seeing birds. In reality, the situation is more complex, at least from a historical perspective. A hundred years ago, “bird watchers” were “students of birds”—those who took watching them very seriously—and “bird study” was seen as a gateway to become a professional ornithologist, or for an amateur observer to make meaningful contributions to the science.

In this lively presentation drawn from extensive research, historian John C. Rumm—who proudly calls himself a “bird watcher”—traces the changing meaning of the term “bird watching” and the rise and fall of “bird study ” from the late 1800s to the closing decades of the 20th century. John is the Executive Director of the Nemours Estate, Alfred I. duPont's historic mansion, gardens and grounds. Prior to moving to Delaware, John was the former vice-president and newsletter editor of the Meadowlark Audubon Society in northwest Wyoming (2009-2015).  John developed several presentations that combined his passion for natural history and ornithology in line with his vocational training as an environmental historian.

This event is co-sponsored with The Sussex Bird Club.

NOTE: this session is conducted through Zoom. You MUST REGISTER to receive instructions for joining the meeting.

If you have 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