Jerry Butler will present “Wings Over Hot Springs.”
The Garland County Historical Society (in association with the Garland County Library) will host Jerry Butler, who will present “Wings Over Hot Springs,” a program about the Spa City’s long, notable birdwatching history, at noon, Tuesday, September 15, at the Garland County Library. People can attend in person or can view the program virtually at facebook.com/garlandcountylibrary or youtube.com/garlandcolibrary.
Butler will share details about early exploratory visitors to the thermal springs, noting the birds here. John James Audubon, for one, yearned to paint birds in Hot Springs. Also, the environs of Spa City were the laboratory/home of one of the South’s most distinguished ornithologists.
Garland County’s rich heritage with respect to birding has been reflected in the area’s educational institutions, civic organizations, and the residents’ enthusiasm for the protection of forests, lakes, and natural areas that sustain birds. Today, the area has been the site of exceptional appearances of avian rarities and is becoming a mid-South hub for casual and serious birdwatching.
Butler, a resident of Hot Springs, is a wildlife writer/photographer and retired university professor. He has published five books and more than fifty feature articles about birds, the outdoors, and travel.
Butler’s most recent book, Mothers, Memories and Birds, is a historical account of five generations of women, the historical movements that impacted their lives, and the plight of birds that flew about in their world.
