Remembering Paul Johnsgard

Abstract

Paul A. Johnsgard (1931–2021) was a friend of many, an artist, prolific author, teacher, and humble admirer of all living creatures. It was impossible to find someone at Nebraska Audubon Society or Nebraska Ornithologists’ Union meetings who did not know Paul Johnsgard. His more than 100 published books made him known not just in a community of ornithologists, birdwatchers, and bird lovers in the United States but also abroad. He was a world-renowned ornithologist and naturalist who remained deeply embedded in his local culture and its prairie environment. We invited about 75 people to write a short memory of Paul. We received about 40 responses, which are published in this book, along with Paul Johnsgard’s own writing on his life. Contributors to this volume include George Archibald, Cherrie Beam-Callaway, Jo D Blessing, Charles Brown, Linda Brown, Jackie Canterbury, John Carlini, Ron Cisar, David Duey, Richard Edwards, Michael Forsberg, Karine Gil, Sue Guild, Twyla Hansen, Chris Helzer, John Janovy, Allison Johnson, Michelle Johnson, Joel Jorgensen, Fujiyo Koizumi, Josef Kren, Thomas Labedz, Kam-Ching Leung, Thomas Mangelsen, Martin Massengale, Julie Masters, Marilyn McNabb, W. Don Nelson, Neal Ratzlaff, Arlys Reitan, James Rosowski, Paul Royster, William Scharf, Rachel Simpson, Tiffany Talbot, Rick Wright, and Christy Yuncker Happ.