Maya Lin Unveils Exhibit on Extinction
John Fitzpatrick and Maya Lin in the “What Is Missing?”exhibit
photo by Ellen Shershow Peña
On September 17, a new art installation by Maya Lin opened at the California Academy of Sciences. Like all of Lin’s work (most famously the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.), “What Is Missing?” is a simple, sleek shape embodying a profound concept, and its power unfolds gradually.
At the large end, animal voices waft from the opening. Images of endangered animals flicker from the dim interior and even at the far end, some 20 feet away. The flickering details and reverberating, distorted sounds are Lin’s way of illustrating both the dimming hopes of endangered species and the fact that they’re not yet entirely out of our reach. “This Earth is incredibly resilient, and what once was can come back if we let it and we give it space,” Lin said at the opening. “But how can we protect it if we don’t even see it as existing?”
Maya Lin worked closely with scientists at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology to develop soundscapes and video sequences for the project, drawing on the Macaulay Library’s holdings. Lab director John Fitzpatrick spoke at the exhibit opening, saying, “Maya Lin’s genius is to juxtapose scientifically documented sounds, images, and facts in imaginative ways that connect individuals to a natural world that is indeed on the verge of going missing. We cannot imagine a more important use of the assets so carefully gathered and archived through the decades at the Cornell Lab.”
Young Birders Event
photo by Susan Spear
Ten teenage birders from around the United States visited the Cornell Lab of Ornithology for our first-ever Young Birders Event, August 6–9. Bound by a passion for birds, these young people met scientists and staff, learned about bird-related careers, tried their hand at recording birds and preparing specimens, and, of course, went birding.
Expedition to New Guinea
Magnificent Riflebird by Eric Liner
Macaulay Library video curator Edwin Scholes, photojournalist Tim Laman, and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s multimedia crew captured new sounds and images of seven species of birds-of-paradise on their expedition to New Guinea in August. These recordings, along with Ed’s research, will help scientists understand how these unique birds evolved.
Great Backyard Bird Count Ambassadors Needed
The Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Audubon are asking everyone to participate in the Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC), February 12–15, 2010. To help spread the word, please consider becoming a GBBC Ambassador.
Mountain Chickadee by Christine Haines
With your help we can top last year’s record-breaker when participants submitted more than 93,600 checklists! Visit www.birdcount.org to learn more about how to participate. Then check back during the GBBC to see what others are reporting. You are also encouraged to upload images for our GBBC photo contest.
The GBBC is fun, easy, raises awareness of birds, and provides an important record of where the birds are, which scientists can use well into the future to track how birds are faring as their environments change. Please help us encourage participation among your friends and contacts. Visit the GBBC ambassador sign-up page at www.birdsource.org/gbbc/get-involved/ambassador-form. We’ll send you an ambassador packet including the news release and suggestions on how to spread the word in your area