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The Origins
of the
Cleveland
Bird Calendar
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1976 CBC Cover
Courtesy of Larry Rosche |
Here is a brief history of the origins of the Cleveland Bird
Calendar (CBC) and how the KBC got involved with it. It was
started in 1905 by Professor Francis Herrick of the department of
biology of Western Reserve University and was continued until 1931
by him and his friends. Then the Calendar became a joint
project of the University and the Cleveland Bird Club. This
latter club was formed in 1928 out of another organization,
incorporated in 1941, became affiliated with the National Audubon
Society and is now the Audubon Society of Greater Cleveland (and
from which the Western Cuyahoga Audubon was subdivided in later
years). In 1938, the CMNH replaced WRU as a sponsor for the CBC
and jointly published it with the Cleveland Bird Club until 1943.
At this time, the Kirtland Bird Club accepted responsibility for
editorship in cooperation with the Cleveland Bird Club and with
sponsorship by the CMNH.
As an historical aside, the Calendar
in 1943 was printed as a part of Bird-life, a magazine of
the Cleveland Bird Club instead of in its stand-alone format in
order to save paper during the war. From about 1951 to 1954, only
the KBC published the Calendar with museum sponsorship.
Then in 1954, due to the severing of ties with the CMNH, the KBC
published the Calendar alone, only to re-partner with the
Cleveland Audubon Society from 1955-60 by using the Cleveland
Audubon Society Bulletin as the CBC’s venue. Then the KBC took
full responsibility for the Calendar again with the
sponsorship of the museum. This is how it continues to operate
today.
The funds for printing the Calendar come from the
members’ dues and
generous donors. Many club members, as well
as some non-members, provide the field reports and articles for
the Calendar, which itself is archived in the museum
library; the original individual reports (where they exist) are
filed in the museum archives.
Source: Article written by Dwight Chasar
Page last updated on
Monday April 23, 2007
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