The news release of November 3, 2008 proceeds:
The Northwest Brach Public Library’s Clif Moss Nature Education Center invites birders of all levels of interest to a series of programs focusing on the newly released book, On the Wings of Cranes: Larry Walkinshaw’s Life Story. The first program will be held at 2p.m. Saturday, November 15, 2008 at the library.

Dr. Larry Walkinshaw, who died in 1993 at the age of 88, was one of the nation’s leading authorities on a number of bird species, including Whooping Cranes and Sandhill Cranes. Among other things, he was involved in the recovery efforts of the Whooping Crane population, which winters in South Texas each year at the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge.

The discussion of the book will be led by its author, Lowell M. Schake, son-in-law of Walkinshaw. Schake is a retired professor who now lives in Port Aransas. The topic of the first program will be: Overview of Walkinshaw’s Life Accomplishments. What Motivated Him and Why?

In addition to the November 15th program, Schake will lead other discussion at 2 p.m. Saturday, December 13, 2008 and at 3 p.m. Saturday, January 10, 2009. The Audubon Outdoor Club of Corpus Christi will have copies of On the Wings of Cranes: Larry Walkinshaw’s Life Story available for purchase at the library for $24.95. The Proceeds will be used to support local birding and conservation activities.

Contact: Lynda Whitton, Northwest Branch Library 361-241-9329.
__________________________

The Northwest Branch Public Library of Corpus Christi premiers as the city’s ‘birding library’ in the “Birdiest City in America”. The ornithological honor represents a three-year running record of 241 or more species spotted and verified by local birders, mostly representing local Audubon Outdoor Club and Coastal Bend Audubon members.

“The library wishes to encourage youthful participation in birding and nature in general,” Head Librarian Lynda Whitton told me in April, 2008. Fourteen children and their families completed a birding class sponsored by the library in July. The five-week Saturday series that commenced at 5 p.m. at the library located at 3202 McKinzie Road in Corpus Christi included field-trips to nearby Tule Lake to assit in identification of bird calls and other details of avain life history.

The current series of monthly educational programs evolved from my previous contacts with the General City Librarian for Corpus Christi, Texas. Herb Canales introduced me to his ‘Friends of the Library’ group to stag a signing event for my La Charrette: A History of the Village Gateway to the American West in 2003. By 2005 it was reissued by publisher iUniverse, Inc., by then taking on a life of its own.

In July 2008, I met Herb in the parking lot of his Flour Bluff branch library. “Hey, you’re the book guy” was his attempt to grasp my name. We visited about the upcoming release of On the Wings of Cranes and my desire to establish another signing event. One thing led to another and soon Herb had provided the necessary contacts to establish the upcoming November-December-January series of programs. Herb also aided my introduction to local Corpus Christi Caller-Times bird columnist Phyllis Yochem. Her “Rave Review’ was previously featured in this blog series.

Not only do I owe Herb “Thanks” for that much appreciated assistance, but for all the diligent work completed over the last ten-years by his staff. Those at his Main downtown library, as well as at Flour Bluff, processed at least a thousand request of mine - interlibrary loans, routine retrievals, reorderings, and obtaining rare or difficult to locate volumes.

Perhaps we can all extend “Thanks” by attending the many excellent birding programs offered by my local Corpus Christi libraries.