Lee A. Pfannmuller and Gerald J. Niemi will join the Bell Museum on Thursday, May 9 to celebrate the launch of their new book, The Breeding Birds of Minnesota: History, Ecology, and Conservation. Doors open at 6 p.m. and include an opportunity to visit the special exhibition Moments of Memory: Minnesota Landscapes Painted from Life; talk at 7. Please register for this event in advance here (free).

During a talk followed by Q&A, authors and ornithologists Lee Pfannmuller and Gerald Niemi will share their journey of writing and producing this incredible new resource on bird history, ecology, and conservation—and offer their insights, highlights, and key learnings.  

"A timely and essential reference in this age of environmental crises; its value in promoting conservation is unquestionably critical." —Francesca J. Cuthbert, from the Foreword

The first comprehensive and in-depth assessment of Minnesota’s breeding birds in nearly a century, The Breeding Birds of Minnesota offers an unprecedented, extraordinarily detailed, finely illustrated account of 250 of those birds, including their historical and present breeding distribution, habitat, population abundance, and prospects for the future.

Lee A. Pfannmuller served as state planning coordinator and interim executive director at Audubon Minnesota and director of the Division of Ecological Resources at the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, where she also spent fifteen years working with the Nongame Wildlife Program, the Natural Heritage Program, the Scientific and Natural Areas Program, and the Division of Minerals.

Gerald J. Niemi is a retired professor of biology. From 1988 to 2008 he was director of the Center for Water and the Environment at the Natural Resources Research Institute, University of Minnesota–Duluth. His research focused on birds, the Great Lakes, conservation, and natural resource sustainability.

Janet C. Green has been observing and studying Minnesota birds since the 1960s. She has been involved with the National Audubon Society, the Duluth and Minnesota Audubon Societies, the Minnesota Ornithologists’ Union, and DNR Advisory Committees. She has authored many Minnesota bird books and guides and is cofounder of Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory.