In 1843, Thure Kumlien settled on the shore of Lake Koshkonong. Kumlien, an accomplished ornithologist, botanist, and naturalist soon began sending bird specimens to museums and collectors in Europe and the eastern United States. Later, he prepared natural history exhibits for the newly established University of Wisconsin and became the first curator of the new Milwaukee Public Museum. For all his achievements, Kumlien never gained widespread notoriety. Martha Bergland, author of the carefully researched and lovingly rendered biography, The Birdman of Koshkonong, will discuss her book and why Thure Kumlein deserves to be remembered as one of Wisconsin's most influential naturalists.
In addition to this book, Martha Bergland is the coauthor, with Paul Hayes, of Studying Wisconsin, which won the Milwaukee County Historical Society’s Gambrinus Prize. She taught for many years at Milwaukee Area Technical College. She lives in Glendale, Wisconsin. Join her virtually on Zoom Thursday, May 6 at 6:00 pm for a presentation on the biography of Wisconsin Naturalist, Thure Kumlien. To register for this program, click here.
