A 2024 Tern the Page Book Club membership can be purchased through our online store, until the club is sold out, or sessions have begun.
Tern the Page is a book club for bird enthusiasts around the world. Join us as we explore four bird and nature themed books by Hog Island Audubon Camp instructors. Each month we will host a book club meeting and then a separate "Meet the Author" session for the book. This is not your traditional book club though! Each author has a special connection to Hog Island and our history.
Included in the price of the club:
- Four books shipped directly to your home
- Invitations to all 8 book club meetings
- Signed author book plate for Nature's People
- Tern the Page bookmark
- Exclusive book club content online
- Prizes at every club meeting!
Purchase the book club for $225* - includes shipping!
Books will begin shipping early December 2023.
Meet our 2024 Tern the Page books and authors:
January: "Nature's People: The Hog Island Story from Mabel Loomis Todd to Audubon" by Tom Schaefer
Tom Schaefer first came to Hog Island as an adult camper in 1981. He was captivated by the island and its rich history and yearned to learn more. This was the beginning of a labor of decades of meticulous research. In 2014, he returned to the island as an artist-in-residence, living in the historic Bingham Cottages and writing about the history of Hog Island. By submersing himself into the very quarters that Mabel Loomis Todd lived, Tom was able to make significant progress on the book. This nonfiction read dives into the life of Mabel and her family and eventually to the formation of the Hog Island Audubon Camp.
Join Tom and Audubon staff in exploring the history of how this conservation camp started. You will love the historic photos from the archives and hopefully, it will entice you to become one of nature’s people.
February: "Better Living Through Birding: Notes from a Black Man in the Natural World" by Christian Cooper
Better Living Through Birding tells the story of Christian Cooper’s life. This self-described Black nerd, an avid fan of comic books and birdwatching, has a compelling story of what life is like as a gay, Black man in America today. Equal parts memoir, travelogue, and primer on the art of birding, this is Cooper’s story of learning to claim and defend space for himself and others like him. From his viral video incident in Central Park to working at Marvel Comics, Christian guides us on his path. Better Living Through Birding recounts Cooper’s journey through the wonderful world of birds and what they can teach us, if only we would look and listen.
Christian spent a week on Hog Island in 2016 as one of National Audubon Society’s participants for its Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Cohort. He is the current Vice President of NYC Audubon and in 2023 premiered a TV series with National Geographic called Extraordinary Birder.
March: "A Pocket Guide to Pigeon Watching: Getting to Know the World's Most Misunderstood Bird" by Rosemary Mosco
Rosemary Mosco is a science writer and naturalist who makes books and cartoons that connect people with the natural world. She first visited Hog Island as a camper in 2021 as a participant at Arts & Birding. Through her week it became evident that this skilled artist was there not only to hone her craft but to immerse herself in the like-minded staff and participants on the island. A Pocket Guide to Pigeons is part field guide of sorts that makes learning about this ill-appreciated bird more fun. Rosemary gives our perception of pigeons a makeover with a combination of anatomy, identification, and wonder. This book is sure to delight the senses and help us all rediscover this common bird.
April: "Far From Land: The Mysterious Lives of Seabirds" by Michael Brooke
Seabirds are the cornerstone of birding at Hog Island, from cute puffins to majestic terns. Each week of camp we focus on the seabirds that call Muscongus Bay home. Seabirds evoke the spirit of the earth’s wildest places. They spend large portions of their lives at sea, often far from land, and nest on beautiful and remote islands that humans rarely visit. Michael Brooke has visited every corner of the world in his lifelong pursuit of seabirds. Here, he draws on his own experiences and insights as well as the latest cutting-edge science to shed light on the elusive seafaring lives of albatrosses, frigatebirds, cormorants, and other ocean wanderers. He has even spent some time on a seabird island with our very own Seabird Sue Schubel. We look forward to diving deeper into the lives of seabirds both near and far in this tome.
Book Club Schedule
All book club meetings and author visits will take place over Zoom at 7:30pm Eastern Time. Links will be provided closer to the program dates.
January 16, 2024: "Nature's People" book club meeting
January 23, 2024: Meet the Author with Tom Schaefer
February 20, 2024 : "Better Living Through Birding book club meeting
February 27, 2024: Meet the Author with Christian Cooper
March 19, 2024: "A Pocket Guide to Pigeon Watching" book club meeting
March 26, 2024: Meet the Author with Rosemary Mosco
April 16, 2024: "The Mysterious Lives of Seabirds" book club meeting
April 23, 2024: Meet the Author with Michael Brooke
Purchase the book club for $225* - includes shipping! Purchase Now!
Books will begin shipping early December 2023.
**Sales tax applies to ME, NY, and CA.**
If you already own the books, please consider gifting the ones sent to you and joining the lectures.
Download a book club gift card to include in your gift giving - click here.
For all other inquiries email Eva at hogisland@audubon.org.
Book Club Facilitators
Eva Matthews Lark - Tern the Page Moderator and Costa Rica Teen Camp Director
Eva Matthews Lark has an MS degree in Recreation & Parks Management and a BS degree in Environmental Science. She has over 20 years experience in environmental education and parks management. She created and directs the international Costa Rica Teen Camp for Hog Island Audubon Camp. She is a guest speaker for local Audubon chapters and enjoys moderating birding talks online. She has been a birder for over a decade and credits the winter warblers of Florida as being her spark birds. In her free time she enjoys traveling with her wife, two sons, and their pups. She particularly enjoys birding competitions with friends and is an avid eBirder and Fantasy Birder. Her favorite bird guide is the Sibley Birds East and her favorite bird book is Life List: A Woman's Quest for the World's Most Amazing Birds by Olivia Gentile, about Phoebe Snetsinger's quest to see all the birds in the world. She loves books about birds and nature and has over 250 titles in her personal collection. When not reading bird-themed books, Eva loves reading poetry. Currently her favorite poets are Ada Limon, J.Drew Lanham, Samantha DeFlitch, and Mary Oliver. The highlight of Eva's winter is talking about books and birds with the Tern the Page members.
Kimberly Faux - Development and Communication Associate for Seabird Institute
Kimberly Keller graduated from Elizabethtown College after studying Music and Business Administration and spent nearly 10 years in the performing arts sector prior to joining Audubon in 2020. As part of the Audubon flock, she works to streamline development processes, increase community engagement through new, local partnerships and create exciting content online and at our facilities. Kim spent her childhood watching migrations with her parents in Central PA, but would not have identified as a “birder” before arriving at Audubon. These days, she relishes soaking in loon calls on the Damariscotta Lake. She rediscovered her love of reading during quarantine and looks forward to diving into birdy books with the Tern the Page Book Club .
Downloadable Resources
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Instructors and Staff
We have some of the most brilliant ornithologists, authors, artists, and educators as part of our staff.
Camp Sessions
Learn more about our birding and nature camp sessions for adults, teens, and families.
