Coat Pocket Bird Book: A Field Guide to Birding - Softcover

When we asked John Gillette for a biography, he sent us the following summary on a ragged slip of paper, ""John W. Gillette, Berrien Springs. University of Michigan AB in English. 23 years as banker in Niles. Now publisher of Journal Era, a weekly newspaper in central Berrien County. For the past 11 years ye and his wife Patricia have published books, mostly on Michigan history, under Hardscrabble imprint. Past president Historical Society of Michigan. Member advisory board of Michigan Chapter of Nature Conservancy. Has written for various magazines and newspapers over the years. Lifelong birdwatcher. Is not a very good typist."" These study credentials give you a brief view of the man who wrote this boo, but they fail to include a sense of his personal warmth, direct approach to relationships, and insightful nature. Level-headed and light humored, John Gillette had a wide circle of friends working in many fields of endeavors - a measure of his rich awareness of the world around him. Sadly, shortly after he completed the final essays included in this book, John Gillette died, a deep and sad loss for all who knew him. On hearing the news, we took a poll of all who worked on this project and we agreed unanimously: This book is dedicated to his memory. David Mohrhardt has been a wildlife artist from grade school days, he has a drawing and painting passion that has never dwindled, and in fact seems to intensify as his life progresses. He holds a degree in biology from Michigan State University, and while there spent most of his free hours in the university's natural history museum sketching and painting wildlife. He later worked as a staff member in the same museum, and in succeeding years worked for the Kalamazoo Nature Center, and Kellogg Bird Sanctuary, Montana State University, and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. He holds a string of awards and honors for his painting and has a long history of group and one-man shows. He and his wife Anna live in Berrien Springs, where they are now in their proud grand-parenting time.