Re: [cobirds] Remembering Dr. Beidleman

Hi COBirders,

To add to remembrances from Arvind and Bill, I had the pleasure of spending a whole summer with Dr. Beidleman in 1983 in a 40 hours/week class (10 semester hours!). We heard all that Bill told, had many close-up experiences with biology and ecology around Pikes Peak, plus camping field trips to RMNP, Black Canyon NM (then), and Mesa Verde NP. Lots of great birding, and many stories.  He was also my advisor for my Masters in Education at Colorado College, was very supportive and full of ideas, and actively encouraged me to push myself as a science teacher, and make the move from a small-district junior high to one of the best high school science departments in the state. He changed my hobby, and definitely changed my career. A lot of the slide shows, models, and examples I used for 25 years in teaching began with him and that summer. He was a great one to use as a model of a exciting teacher.

Steve Brown

Colorado Springs

COBirders,

 

When I first moved to the Colorado Springs area quite a few years ago, I attended a lecture by Dr. Beidleman about Long's Expedition to the Rocky Mountains.  It remains the most interesting lecture I have heard.  There, I learned about Thomas Say, the Father of Entomology, who found and described the type specimen for Lesser Goldfinch (mountains near Colorado Springs), Western Kingbird (near La Junta), Rock Wren (Douglas County near the junction of Plum Creek with the South Platte), Dusky Grouse (Defile Creek - 20 miles north of Colorado Springs), and a few other bird species (not to mention a ton of new insectsDr. Beidleman was also responsible for researching and authoring the documentation convincing the Department of Interior to designate Garden of the Gods a National Natural Landmark in 1971.  His convincing summary about the wonders of the Garden of the Gods was " Here is, perhaps, the most striking contrast between plains and mountains in North American, with respect to biology, geology, climate and scenery."  Dr. Beidleman also showed birders and others the location where Edwin James, the Long's Expedition botanist, described the first specimen of Colorado's state flower, blue columbine, just north of Palmer Lake in southern Douglas County and where they still occur today.

 

Bill Maynard

Colorado Springs

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