Join us for a in-depth lecture by Dr. Bethany Dahlstrom that explores the parallel origins of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (founded as two women’s societies in Manchester and Croydon in 1889) and the Audubon Society (revitalized in Boston in 1896 by Harriet Hemenway and Minna B. Hall), showing how early campaigns combined moral outrage, Christian stewardship, and a shrewd use of gendered respectability to mobilize public opinion. Drawing on periodical exposé, literary texts (including Edward Linley Sambourne’s Punch cartoons), and Aldo Leopold’s later articulation of the land ethic, this talk will consider how these powerful women reframed bird protection as both a political act and a spiritual duty. 

This event is free and open to the public. Tea and biscuits will be served during the lecture. Following the lecture, participants are invited to attend the monthly Birds of America page-turning event. Participants may also sign up at the front desk for a tour of the historic Mill Grove house at 12:30pm. Museum admission will be free all day. 

Registration is encouraged for this event.