Photo: An Aldo Leopold bench at Mary Gray Bird Sanctuary, photographed by Libby Keyes, offering a front-row connection to nature’s symphony.
BY BRAD BUMGARDNER
I was fortunate to be introduced to birds at a young age, a fascination that carried into my adulthood as a seasonal park naturalist for Indiana State Parks. At some point in those early years, I was given a copy of Aldo Leopold’s “A Sand County Almanac,” and I began to delve deep into the connections between humanity and the natural world that he so eloquently brought forth in his various essays. Leopold’s writings urge us to perceive the land not as a conquered object but as a community to which we belong.
Recently, I revisited Leopold’s July notes in “A Sand County Almanac.” He detailed his pre-dawn observations from his famed bench, with coffee and notebook in hand. Leopold meticulously recorded the precise order and timing of the dawn chorus, beginning with the first Field Sparrow and progressing from robins to orioles, and eventually the Rufous-sided Towhee by 5:15 a.m. Lacking a tape recorder, his written record was the best the iconic naturalist could do. Can you imagine Leopold’s surprise today to witness 800,000+ eBird users armed with the most sophisticated pocket microphone capturing the soundscape on our landscape, right here and right now, in the world’s largest ornithological citizen science database ever imagined? The dreamer laying on their roof hearing distant chip notes has been replaced with AI software trained to tell you how many Swainson’s Thrushes flew over your house each night in near real-time.
Aldo was coming of age while the Indiana bird movement was gaining momentum. In 1897, a committee of the Indiana Academy of Science laid the foundation for Indiana Audubon. Interest was high enough that even the Governor, James Mount, participated in the first meetings. However, Indiana’s bird goes beyond that, with Jane Hine studying the state’s birds in the 1860s, anticipating Leopold’s work. By the time the men downstate formed a committee to consider establishing a state ornithology society, Jane’s observations and advocacy for “Indiana Bird Law” were already in full swing.
Over the past 125 years, Indiana has witnessed remarkable achievements that have left a lasting impact. This extensive timespan is so long that many may not recall conservation issues like crow and hawk bounties, the establishment of state parks and wildlife areas, or the once-practiced Christmas Bird Counts that involved shooting every bird in sight. We have the opportunity to reflect on the odyssey that brought us to this significant milestone. As we stand at the crossroads, balancing between the past and the future, we find ourselves on the brink of another 125 years of conservation, discovery, and guiding new generations to discover the spark that birds bring.
As you, the reader, may have already deduced, I was not around for the birth of our organization. Given all the modern conveniences at our disposal today, it’s challenging to grasp the hardships that the early pioneers of this society must have faced in terms of travel and the dissemination of information. Not only were computers and the internet nonexistent, but they were forging new territory with the idea of protecting birds. Can you envision the 1898 big year, where observing every bird was also a competition amid relentless persecution through over-hunting and feather collection for various trades?
Looking ahead to 2024 and beyond, I hope to see our level of commitment to the birds of Indiana strengthen through our growing membership. Indiana Audubon’s ability to engage with communities relies on your connections and passion, driving conservation, education, and research. You will witness our continued progress in adopting new technology to enhance our understanding of birds not only here
in Indiana, but also in migration and on their wintering grounds. This knowledge will empower us with the best science to have the largest impact with our dollars and reach, creating a better future for these birds, and the next generation that will bring joy from their presence.
Over the last five years, I’ve had the privilege of serving as Indiana Audubon’s executive director. Witnessing the transformation of a bird club into a formidable advocate for wild birds in the Hoosier state has been truly gratifying. Throughout this time, I’ve seen our membership grow and initiate a diverse range of projects, offering support to likeminded individuals and organizations that align with our vision and goals. Although I can’t claim a tenure of 125 years, I’m genuinely excited about the substantial accomplishments we’ve achieved in just the last five!
Much like Leopold’s dawn chorus, the story of Indiana Audubon is and will be an ever-evolving melody, a symphony of dedication and reverence for the diverse bird life that unfurls beneath the expansive wings of Hoosier time. Thank you for being part of this story, and here’s to a happy and safe 2024.
This story originally ran in the December 2023–January 2024 print edition of The Cardinal.
Tags: birding insights
