‘Birdwatching is close to rapture’: Margaret Atwood on why she has given C$1m to avian research
Author Margaret Atwood has donated C$1 million to establish a chair in avian biology, honoring the legacy of her late partner, Graeme Gibson. The gift supports bird research at a critical migration nexus on Pelee Island, Canada.
Why it matters
This significant philanthropic contribution highlights the intersection of literature, environmental conservation, and the preservation of biodiversity.
Award-winning novelist celebrates late partner’s love of birds with gift to establish the Graeme Gibson chair in avian biology
‘They’re social, playful and just a very intelligent bird’… Margaret Atwood on ravens. If she could be any bird, Margaret Atwood would transform into a raven. “They’re very smart. They’re social, playful and just a very successful bird,” she says while seated in a corner of a bird observatory in the Lake Erie Islands archipelago. “They’re quite an intelligent problem solver.”
Pelee Island sits at the nexus of two important migration routes, making it a destination for birds travelling thousands of kilometres each year. The observatory, which she set up with her late partner, Graeme Gibson, is located on the west shore of Pelee Island – the southernmost community in Canada – and is so new that there are no lightbulbs in a handful of lamps.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in