Georgia Museum of Natural History honors renowned ornithologist Drew Lanham | Art and culture

On March 4th, the Friends of the Georgia Museum of Natural History met at the State Botanical Garden of Georgia with special guest speaker Joseph Drew Lanham, a renowned writer and ornithologist, for an evening of celebration and fundraising.

Among Lanham’s most notable works is The Home Place: Memoirs of a Colored Man’s Love Affair with Nature. The narrative non-fiction book received the Southern Environmental Law Center’s Reed Award, which recognizes authors whose work highlights the changes and challenges in the southern natural world.

“He’s an accomplished writer, a terrific teacher and interested in bringing ornithology to communities of color and using the natural world to inspire people of all ages,” said Jim Porter, Professor Emeritus of the Odum School of Ecology.

Raised in Edgefield, South Carolina, Lanham currently teaches at Clemson University and is a 2022 MacArthur Fellow, an award sometimes referred to as the MacArthur “Genius Grant,” for his research in ornithology, the study of birds, combined with his Literature on the cultural and personal impact of the field.

He admitted that his first fascination with birds was flying. He looked at her in awe of her ability to fly and wanted to do the same. He admired and experienced them and tried to learn about them.

“Outside of [flight]Not only did they want to know what the birds were called, they tried to understand over the years who the birds are,” Lanham said.

Surrounded by dim lights and tropical plants, people of all ages in festive attire mingled and chatted in the visitor center’s main atrium.

Patrons gather in the Garden Room of the State Botanical Garden of Georgia on Saturday, March 4, 2023 at the Georgia Museum of Natural History’s annual celebration. (Photo/Elizabeth Rymarev, @lizardshots)

We spent the first part of the evening in the Garden Room looking at paintings, pottery and photographs of birds and wildlife. These items were auctioned off and patrons signed their names for bids. As guests made their way through the gallery, live jazz music danced in the background – a fast-paced allegro as drinks were poured and laughter rang out.

“It’s quite an honor to be in a place where the light itself is honored through botany, through horticulture [and] through preservation. Being in this place among people who appreciate that feels [being] among like-minded people, so it’s like a familiar flock,” Lanham said.

As guests prepared to hear from Lanham, they sat at round tables with photographs of various bird species, from a blue jay to a pelican. Salad dishes, a quinoa and chicken dinner, and puff pastry were served. The high ceilings gleamed with light from strings of lights attached to the plants that draped the area around the tables, ranging from large cacao trees to small tropical ferns.

Classes will be served as part of the Georgia Museum of Natural History’s annual celebration at the State Botanical Garden of Georgia on Saturday, March 4, 2023. The tables are surrounded by plants and ambient lighting. (Photo/Elizabeth Rymarev, @lizardshots)

Applause erupted as Lanham took the stage and was presented with an original bird illustration by John James Audobon, a French-American artist, ornithologist and naturalist. The illustration was purchased and donated by the museum in Lanham’s honor.

Sharing works from his book and other personal poems, Lanham delved into various topics such as his admiration for birds and their acceptance of all, racial injustice in society and in his personal experiences, and the importance of protecting the natural world.

“Conservation is really that intense concern for something and someone that you are willing to sacrifice something for [the] present for a future. To me, that’s love,” Lanham said.

Patrons enter the Garden Room at the State Botanical Garden of Georgia on Saturday, March 4, 2023 for the Georgia Museum of Natural History’s annual celebration. (Photo/Elizabeth Rymarev, @lizardshots)