The Roger Tory Peterson Institute (RTPI) recently announced the naming of Psychology Professor Jennifer Lodi-Smith, PhD, and Associate Professor of English Janet McNally, as the inaugural RTPI Scholars-in-Residence.
As Scholars-in-Residence, Lodi-Smith and McNally will expand the focus of The Spark Bird Project to include the perspective of artists.
The Spark Bird Project (https://www.spark-bird.org/) is designed to gather and share the stories of people’s passion for birds while gaining scientific insights into a critical missing piece in the ecology of birds: birders themselves.
“When Roger Tory Peterson was 11 years old, he had an unexpectedly up-close encounter with a northern flicker,” said Arthur Pearson, CEO of the Roger Tory Peterson Institute. “That ‘spark bird’ experience changed his life, setting him on a course to becoming the father of the modern field guide and international ambassador for birds.”
In the United States, 45 million people identify themselves as birdwatchers. Many if not most of them had a similar “spark bird” experience – some encounter with a particular bird that transformed them into life-long lovers of birds. Along the way many of them also were sparked and supported by field guides like Peterson’s as well as specific individuals and their local community birding groups.
“As a professor of psychology,” Lodi-Smith shared, “I was struck by the spark bird story of Peterson and so many other birders but dismayed that there is scant academic scholarship on this topic. While we are doing a great job of understanding birds, we know very little about birders themselves. The Spark Bird Project aims to better understand who birders are and who potential birders may be – insights which can help shape how organizations such as RTPI engage more people in the beauty and wonder of birds.”
As part of the project, Lodi-Smith and McNally will host a series of podcasts with birders, environmentalists, educators, and artists, to share and discuss their spark bird experiences.
“Roger Tory Peterson is one of countless artists whose future careers were fueled by a spark bird experience,” Pearson added. “As a museum dedicated to nurturing the next generation of nature artists, RTPI is particularly looking forward to learning more about the artist perspective on spark birds – to further inform our mission, strategy and goals.”
Submitted by: University Communications
