Have you ever wondered how birding in America truly began? You may have a few names in mind—people like Audubon or Wilson or Lewis and Clark. But have you ever heard of Mark Catesby?

Patrick Dean joins us on the show today to chat about his new book Nature’s Messenger: Mark Catesby and His Adventures in a New World. This book was such a delightful discovery of the life of a naturalist pioneer in America in the early 1700s.

From Catesby’s beginnings as English gentility to his landing in North Carolina in 1722 to his exploration of the natural world in what would come to be known as the American South, Dean’s book is a thorough, fascinating, and engaging read. It even has pirates!

PLUS: we chat about why Dean believes the Ivory-billed Woodpecker might still be out there.

I loved the book and this conversation, and I know you will, too!



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