Birds in the Bushes: A Story About Margaret Morse Nice (Creative Minds Biography)

Dunlap, Julie; Ramstad, Ralph L.

ISBN 10: 1575050064 ISBN 13: 9781575050065

Publisher: Carolrhoda Books, 1996

Synopsis

Relates the life of the ornithologist whose finest work took place in her back yard and whose final hope was that others would share her love of nature study.

About this title

From Kirkus Reviews:

An entry in the Creative Minds series. Born near the turn of the century, Nice developed a deep and early love of nature and its creatures, especially birds. Her attempts to learn more were frustrated, however, by two factors. First, bird books were written by ornithologists, whose dry, scientific descriptions were of little use to birdwatchers in the field. Second, and by far worse, they were all based on dead birds. Only when her parents gave her a copy of a new book on birding by a writer who detested the practice of killing for study did Nice see an alternative and set out on a lifelong mission ``. . . to help Nature [and] make people love Nature more.'' After college and marriage, Nice found that her past research was ignored by her peers (no one paid attention to the work of a housewife with no doctorate and not even a university job). She refused to give in, and the detailed notes of the birds in her own backyard resulted in a book, The Birds of Oklahoma, the first of many serious research studies she wrote. At the same time her environmental concerns grew stronger and she became an outspoken advocate for the preservation of the wild. Nice was eventually honored by birders and scientists everywhere; Dunlap's inspiring and touching account means that Nice's life will come to the attention of a new generation. (b&w illustrations, bibliography, index) (Biography. 10-14) -- Copyright ©1996, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

From School Library Journal:

Grade 3-5?Margaret Morse Nice (1883-1974), an American ornithologist and conservationist, built her reputation studying the birds in her backyard. Her interest began during her childhood in Amherst, MA. Morse's parents encouraged their daughter's curiosity in her younger years, but by the time she started high school, they actively discouraged her "unladylike" behavior. It was not until graduate school that she discovered biology and the thrill of studying live animals rather than specimens. Dunlap candidly describes her subject's struggle to balance the time needed to care for her growing family with her passion for scientific research. Her research was dismissed by some because she did not have a doctorate, and was "just a housewife." She later became the first woman to head a major ornithological society. This lively account will have readers empathizing with Nice as she spent hot summer days gathering thousands of insects to feed a captive bird or crouched in a wet field for hours on a wintry day. The author clearly conveys the quiet determination and attention to detail that contributed to the woman's success. This biography will be of special interest to readers who are watching the birds in their own backyards. The black-and-white drawings adequately illustrate the text, but the index is not comprehensive.?Kristin Lott, East Brunswick Public Library, NJ
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Carolrhoda Books
• Publication date: 1996
• ISBN 10: 1575050064
• ISBN 13: 9781575050065
• Binding: Library Binding
• Number of pages: 64
• Illustrator: Ramstad Ralph L.