When Amateur Bird Watching Became a Rigorous Science - Portrayal of Robert Ridgway

Join Illinois’ preeminent bird man as he recalls the history of the Audubon Society and the evolution of bird watching as it grew from a hobby to a scientific discipline. Hear stories that illuminate our legacies as bird watchers, namely: creating a cadre of citizen scientists; encouraging the next generation of conservationists; and protecting habitat for future generations of birds.

This is a recording of the live portrayal, before the Peoria Audubon Society and live streamed on Zoom, as professional storyteller, Brian “Fox” Ellis becomes Robert Ridgway. He tells the story of Ridgway's transect of the western wilderness when he was still a teenager, his life-long work at the Smithsonian Institution, his birding trips into Central America and his journey across Alaska with John Burroughs, and John Muir.

Ridgway was a student of Spencer Baird, who traveled with John James Audubon, creating a direct link to the lineage of America’s preeminent ornithologists. He helped to refine systematics and evolutionary theory, redefining the relationships between species, sub-species and geography.

Brian "Fox" Ellis is an internationally renowned storyteller and naturalist who has been a featured speaker at regional and international conferences on environmental concerns, including the International Wetlands Conservation Conference, and the North American Prairie Conservation Conference, et al.