Malkolm Boothroyd eating a nutritious breakfast.
Our Bird Year is Malkolm Boothroyd’s fault. He came up with the idea while reading Kenn Kaufman’s Kingbird Highway. In order to take a year off school, he has squeezed three years of schoolwork into two human years. Malkolm’s schedule isn’t the only thing weird about him. He would rather wade through a bug infested swamp in search of Bitterns than watch a movie. And of course, he would rather take a year long birding trip, than live a normal life. When Malkolm was 12, he became a CBC-Yukon radio personality with a series about northern birds. That year he was also the subject of the film Malkolm the Birder Boy – Search for the Bluethroat (his favorite bird). Malkolm likes to draw and did the artwork in this website. Malkolm has two older sisters, Kirsten, who is awesome, and Polly, who is okay, I guess. (Edited by Kirsten)
Wendy cycling to work.
“Wendy Boothroyd is so safe she checks the marine weather forecast before taking a bath” That’s what her siblings used to say. Wendy has designated herself as the Bird Year’s Safety Officer and has already begun scrutinizing highway shoulders and researching traffic patterns. Wendy knows that the cutest North American bird is the Tufted Titmouse. It has such a big, bright eye! Wendy likes to eat eggplant and oatmeal, not together and not in the company of her family. She has worked on many conservation issues during the past several decades including northern wilderness protection, recycling and sewage. In her spare time she works as a family doctor in Whitehorse, Yukon. She likes to look at birds and even to call them by name, but listing them makes her sleepy. One time Wendy knit a vest with a burrowing owl on it.
Ken Madsen "kayaking" in the Arctic .
Ken Madsen's favorite bird is a Bridled Titmouse the world’s cutest bird (much cuter than Wendy’s nominee, the Tufted Titmouse). He is an award-winning author, photographer and film-maker. In the past he has been a teacher, rock climber and crazed kayaker, but now he stalks Bluethroats in the Arctic. He is a two-time recipient of the Northern Conservation Award from the Porcupine Caribou Management Board. He has worked on the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge campaign since 1998. He has traveled extensively in the Arctic and has crisscrossed the continent with audio-visual presentations about the importance of protecting the Arctic Refuge. His favorite daughter is Polly, but Kirsten is okay, too. (Edited by Polly)
Christianne at Bosque del Apache.
Christianne Hinks is helping with many organizational aspects of the Bird Year through the Confluence Project. The Confluence Project grew out of years of volunteering for various conservation groups. Her ultimate goal is to foster awareness about the connections between the Arctic Refuge and the Southwest (and all regions in the US). She hopes to help protect critical habitats around the continent. Oddly enough, she favors the rich haunting song of the Hermit Thrush over the easy good looks of either Titmouse.
NOTE: Please cast your votes for North America's cutest bird, which of course, is likely to be a titmouse.
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