PLEASE NOTE DATE CHANGE TO TUESDAY, JANUARY 17, 2023 DUE TO 1/16 MLK JR HOLIDAY

Presenter: Author James Huffstodt

Location: Southeast Regional Library, Room B, 10599 Deerwood Park Blvd, Jacksonville, FL 32256

Dr. Frank M. Chapman of the American Museum of Natural History in New York City was the father of the Christmas Bird Count but was also the most popular bird writer of his era, an influential editor, South American explorer, museum innovator, pioneer bio-geographer, educator, early bird photographer, spell-binding speaker, author of 17 books and several hundred popular and scientific articles, and owner-editor of Bird-Lore (1899-1934): the first popular magazine for birdwatchers and forerunner of today’s Audubon. Some have called him the father of the modern American birdwatching (birding) movement

James Huffstodt is an award-winning writer who began his career as a U. S. Army reporter while serving in South Vietnam with the 25th Infantry Division in 1967. Upon returning to the States, he was a feature writer at the Ft. Bragg (North Carolina) post newspaper, "the Para-Glide." He earned a bachelor's degree in American and European history at Southern Illinois University, Carbondale in 1971. A year later, he received a master's degree in journalism from the University of Illinois, Urbana. While a general assignment reporter for the Ottawa (Illinois) Daily Times newspaper, Huffstodt's feature story on crime and drugs in a small town was named best feature story (small newspaper category) in Illinois for 1973 by United Press International (UPI). From 1973 through 1978, he worked in college public relations at Illinois Valley Community College in Oglesby and the University of Mississippi at Oxford. From 1980 until 2011, Huffstodt worked as an information/education specialist and media liaison, first for the state of Illinois and later for the state of Florida. His feature stories often appeared in the Florida Wildlife Magazine winning three writing awards from the Association of Conservation Information (ACI). His first published history, "Hard Dying Men" appeared in 1991 followed by "Everglades Lawmen" in 2000, which was named Book of the Year by the Florida Outdoor Writers' Association (FOWA). His most recent book is a biography of Union Brigadier General Martin Davis Hardin (1837-1923) titled, "Lincoln's Bold Lion." Huffstodt's various books are found in more than 125 libraries in the United States, Canada, Great Britain, Germany, Holland, Australia, Singapore and Ecuador. These include Oxford University in England, Harvard, West Point, Stanford, Penn State University, Newberry Library-Chicago, and the United States Military Academy at West Point. Over the years, Huffstodt has written more than 100 magazine feature stories appearing in Civil War Times Illustrated, the Lincoln Herald, Sea Classics Magazine, Dog World Magazine, Tallahassee Magazine, and Florida Sportsman Magazine. The author currently resides in Tallahassee, Florida with his wife, Judy, and family

Meetings start with refreshments and networking at 6:30 pm and programs at 7:00 pm (unless otherwise noted). We will provide snacks and drinks; please feel free to BYOD (Bring Your Own Dinner) and enjoy it during the program. Please also bring your own cup to help cut down on plastic trash at this event. Thank you!