2010 Providence, Rhode Island Speakers
Don and Lillian Stokes
Don and Lillian Stokes
Presentation — Birds, Birding and You
Don and Lillian Stokes will present their newest work, The Stokes Field Guide To The Birds Of North America and tell how they designed it for you, the birder of today. Six years in the making, and with over 3,400 color photos, this is the most comprehensive photographic field guide ever published. In their multimedia presentation, Don and Lillian will take you behind the scenes into what's involved in producing a work of this magnitude, teach you how to fast-forward your bird identification skills, and end with a tribute to the birds of North America."
About Don and Lillian Stokes
Don and Lillian Stokes have been prominent bird authors and educators for over 30 years. They created, hosted and produced the first national PBS television bird watching shows and more than 40 million viewers tuned in to their "Stokes Birds at Home" TV series.
Don and Lillian have written over 32 bird and nature books, which have sold over 4.5 million copies. Their books have included such bestsellers as Stokes Field Guide to Birds eastern and western regions, Stokes Field Guide To Warblers, Stokes Beginner's Guide To Shorebirds, etc. They have also produced the best-selling bird song CDs: Stokes Field Guide to Bird Songs - Eastern Region, and Western Region. Don and Lillian have received a national conservation award and have been writers and columnists in popular birding magazines. Their newest work, Stokes Field Guide To The Birds Of North America, will be published in October 2010.
Drew Wheelan
Drew Wheelan
Presentation — Crisis in the Gulf: ABA Conservation Update
Drew Wheelan will speak about his four months in the Gulf Coast area monitoring the effects of the spill on shoreline ecosystems and the clean-up response effort that went awry. He will share with you what his expectations were going into the assignment, what the reality of the situation is, and discuss where we go from here. You will hear the fascinating story of Drew's saga that began in a truck and ended with the kindness of strangers opening their homes to him. He will tell you about his frequent run-ins with the law and how he kept his head through it all. Drew will be available throughout the week to answer any questions you might have.
About Drew Wheelan
Drew Wheelan, the ABA's Gulf Coast Conservation Coordinator, has been stationed at Grand Isle, La. since May 17, 2010, and has risen to national prominence for his truthful, often disturbing, reporting on the British Petroleum (BP) oil spill. Wheelan's multimedia blog, birding.typepad.com/gulf, is widely regarded as one of the most credible sources of information regarding the effects of the oil spill on the Gulf Coast's birdlife. Coverage includes impeccably documented ecological abuses by BP cleanup workers, persuasive objections to BP's use of the deadly dispersant Corexit, and heartbreaking images of dead and dying wildlife. Wheelan's blog also chronicles the heroism of the region's birders, biologists, and activists.
Major media outlets have come to depend on Wheelan's blog for its in-depth, often breaking, news reporting. Wheelan has been featured on CNN's Anderson Cooper 360°, CBS Evening News, ABC News, and Rachel Maddow's blog.