Dr. Nancy Glover McCartney will present “The Passing of the Passenger Pigeon” at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 18, at the Waupaca Area Public Library.
Martha, the last living passenger pigeon, died on Sept. 1, 1914, in the Cincinnati Zoo. Only 50 years before, her species was the most numerous bird species in North America.
McCartney will discuss what happened to Martha, why is her species became extinct, and what other species are facing similar fates. Her presentation will cover taxonomy, art slides, historical prints and DNA recovery efforts.
McCartney earned a master’s degree in zoology sat the University of Wisconsin-Madison and later received her doctorate in plant ecology. She is currently the curator of zoology at the University of Arkansas Museum, where she advises that she “cares for collections of 100,000 lots of very dead mammals, birds, fish and herps (amphibians and reptiles) thus illustrating that a liberal arts education teaches flexibility and adaptation.”
Hosted by Winchester Academy and sponsored by Pat Hollenbeck, the program is free and open to the public. Cookies and coffee are served at 6 p.m. and the program begins at 6:30 p.m.
Winchester Academy programs are funded through sponsors and tax-deductible donations.
For more information about Winchester Academy, visit winchesteracademywaupaca.org or contact Executive Director Ann Buerger Linden at 715-258-2927 or [email protected].