What are your first memories of birds and did those early memories shape your life in more ways than you know?
In an article entitled “Autoethnographic Art and Essay: Ode to Bygone Birds of Childhood, Part 1-Drawings” from The AutoEthnographer- A Literary and Arts Magazine, illustrator Terry Graff tells of his childhood and his father’s bustling homemade feeders, the crows that would visit his family’s garden, the crowing rooster in the neighborhood, and the ducks splashing at a nearby pond. He says that, “When I reflect on the past, these childhood encounters with birds are a prominent touchstone that influenced my perception of a wondrous and enchanted world.” Terry’s father worked in industry and taught Terry how to work with tools and industrial materials. Terry knew that he didn’t want to spend his life working in a factory and that he wanted to do more with his life. As his hometown changed over time, Terry saw the nature he loved become ruined through urban and industrial development. He saw the field behind his house become a parking lot. He noticed the birds from his youth being destroyed by habitat destruction, pesticide overuse, and human related causes. Terry’s love and wonder for nature and his determination for protecting it, shaped his career.
How have your bird memories shaped your personal story? You may not be a famous illustrator but perhaps you were a child on a walk with a grown-up and you saw specific birds that created memories for you. One recollection I have is when my mother worked as a hairdresser at a nursing home, and while I waited for her to finish working, I would walk around a lake outside with the residents. I specifically remember Mrs. Fenstermacher, who walked with a cane and wore dark glasses. She would ask me, what birds do you see and I would describe the birds to her and she would tell me what the names of the birds were. When I grew older, my mother told me that Mrs. Fenstermacher was actually blind. If she was blind, how did she know what these birds were? As a young child at the time, I didn’t know that the bird songs, descriptions and behaviors can become ingrained in our memories and learning about birds in our early lives can have a direct correlation to our adulthood paths. Perhaps this is why I was always fascinated with science and was one of the reasons I became a teacher and in retrospect moved to this island and became a member of SIB.
I encourage you to think back to how your childhood memories of birds influenced you. Who were the people in your life who taught you about birds? What special memories do you have? There is no doubt that we live in a beautiful place, much like Terry’s younger years. You may enjoy watching the birds at your feeder or capturing them in photographs. It may be your calling to help protect the shorebirds on Seabrook. Sometimes looking back at our past experiences can create a call to do more, regardless of our birding expertise. I would like to think we are all still young at heart and that we have an obligation to protect the birds and our memories of them for future generations who will one day inhabit this amazing place we call home. I would love to hear about your first bird memories and the influence they have had on your life.
Submitted by Deanna Forsythe
Source: The AutoEthnographer Magazine – click here to read full article.