There is a new book out that will be of interest to bird enthusiasts who live in the area. “Birding Sewanee: A Guide to Birding in the South Cumberland Region” is the result of a collaboration between Sewanee resident Richard Candler and recent Sewanee graduate Angus Pritchard, C’22, and includes beautiful illustrations by Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies, Eric Ezell, C’08.

The book details some the best birding spots on and off the mountain, and provides tips on where and when to find the roughly 250 species that occur in our area. It also provides information about how to get started birding. The front cover features a wonderful block print design that was hand-carved and printed by Angus and is guaranteed to be an attractive addition to your bookshelf.

The idea for “Birding Sewanee” formed around the need for condensing the experiences and knowledge of local birders into book form so that prospective birders wouldn’t have to start from scratch. The book provides a roadmap for exploring new places and finding more species, and helps readers develop their birding skills. The hope is that “Birding Sewanee” will be useful to newcomers to the region, such as university students, or current locals who wish to expand their knowledge of the area from a birding perspective.

The book will be available at the University Bookstore in downtown Sewanee next week. All the proceeds go to The Office of Sustainability at the University to fund bird-related projects and research and to provide students with better access to birding tools.

Coauthor Richard Candler will be signing and selling books at an Earth Day event at Stirling’s Coffee House on April 22. He will also be giving a talk at Trails & Trilliums on Sunday, April 23 in Beersheba Springs. On April 30, he will be leading a bird walk for the Cumberland Folk School at Sequatchie Cove Farm.

Coauthor Angus Pritchard is currently traveling the world as a Watson Fellow with a focus on bird conservation. You can keep up with Angus and see his excellent bird photography at his blog: <www.backcountrybirding.com>. His bird illustrations will be featured at the Earth Day event at Stirling’s Coffee House.

For questions (or if you just want to go birding!) contact Richard Candler at <rocandler@gmail.com>.