Margaret Atwood on her love of birds
Whereas Margaret Atwood is known for her big array of poetry books and novels, along with the now-adapted-for-TV 1985 dystopian novel The Handmaid’s Story, you might be not acutely aware that she is a passionate advocate for birds.
As Margaret explains:
Due to my forest entomologist father, who was an expert self-discipline worker and devoted conservationist, I grew up with birds, along with an information of what a species should survive. We’re not apart from nature, we’re a part of it. If the biosphere fails, so will we.
The award-winning author is a long-term champion of our work. She supported our native Affiliate BirdLife Australia’s advertising marketing campaign to boost security for the Critically Endangered Swift Parrot, changing into a member of them on a go to to Tasmania’s Bruny Island to hunt for these vibrant birds a few years prior to now. These eye-catching parrots are dropping key habitats due to the logging occurring in Tasmania, a menace that’s nonetheless true to at the present time.
This was faraway from Margaret’s first foray into fowl conservation, though. Definitely, she had prolonged sooner than shared a passion for birds alongside together with her late husband, Graeme Gibson. As former joint presidents of our Unusual Hen Membership, Graeme and Margaret carried out an essential perform in championing BirdLife at home in Canada, all by the Americas, and globally.
Graeme’s love for birds impressed an thrilling initiative, the Graeme Gibson Fellowship, that offers proficient up-and-coming leaders on the planet of biodiversity conservation the prospect to hone their talents and expertise. Sponsored by Journey Canada, the programme takes seven months to complete and is organised spherical three primary components of administration: self-leadership, fundamental others, and systems-leadership.
We’re extraordinarily grateful for Margaret’s help all by the years and have been thrilled to organise a selected event alongside together with her in New York Metropolis on the 17th of December to rejoice her love of birds.
Happening throughout the Lotos Membership, the night time gathering included a fire chat with Margaret herself, adopted by a Q&A and a e-book signing fundraiser. Margaret study from her newly launched e-book, Paper Boat – New & Chosen Poems 1961-2023 and went on to sign copies for attendees.
The night time raised much-needed funds for two organisations close to Margaret’s coronary coronary heart: BirdLife Worldwide and the Pelee Island Hen Observatory. A variety of the unimaginable objects auctioned all through the event included a dinner for 10 with Margaret in her Toronto home, a chance for a lucky winner to have her solutions on their novel manuscript, and many additional thrilling prizes.
