Brewster reading event at Wells Reserve

Join York County Audubon and bird watcher Dianne Ballon for readings from the journals of ornithologist William Brewster!

This program will be presented in-person in the Mather Auditorium, and will also be live-streamed via Zoom. It will be free and open to all ages, and no registration is required for attending the program in person. To view via Zoom, you’ll need to register in advance. 

Brewster's life in brief

The noted ornithologist, William Brewster, was born in 1851 in Wakefield, MA. He co-founded the Nuttall Ornithological Club and the American Ornithologists’ Union and was the first president of Mass Audubon. He produced over 300 publications including The Birds of the Cambridge Region of Massachusetts (1906). From 1885-1919 he was a curator at the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University. He also created a private museum of ornithology and bequeathed his extensive collection of over 40,000 specimens to the MCZ. His 300-acre property, October Farm, in Concord, MA is now partially preserved as the Brewster's Woods Wildlife Sanctuary and the October Farm Riverfront.

Brewster’s Archive at Harvard University

Diaries (1865-1919): 31 vols
Journals (1871-1916): 33 vols
Field Notes (1865-1919): 10 vols.
Correspondence (1862-1919): ~8,800 letters
Photographs: ~2,458 photos
Notes on birds, arranged systematically (1883-1910): 57 vols
Lake Umbagog journals (1871-1916): 19 vols
Miscellaneous items: 59 vols, 3,770 pgs

William Brewster Harvard Library CURIOSity digital exhibit

Crowd-sourced transcription

Sign up for an account with DigiVol to transcribe Brewster's writings as well as other natural history materials.
Or explore other opportunities to contribute at FromThePage.

Brewster's digitized writings and much more are available on the Biodiversity Heritage Library site, the world’s largest open-access digital library for biodiversity literature and archives.

Many Thanks to Dianne Ballon for organizing this event!