A Passion for Birds: Bird Watching as a Lifestyle
Bird watching and life as a naturalist is a wonderful, in-depth way to reach a truer understanding of God as Creator. Long ago, Job urged us to “speak to the earth,” to “ask the birds of the air” to inform you about God as our Creator.
Pursuing such a course leads to a personal relationship with Mother Nature that lasts a lifetime. That’s what we hope to explore through field trips, scripture, history, journaling and conversation.
PETER HAMEL has been birdwatching since 1950 and recorded his first observations on Good Friday in 1953. Ordained in 1964 he has spent a lifetime integrating his passion with his faith. Peter lived on the edge of a rainforest in Uganda for 3 years, and taught environmental studies at Carleton University in Ottawa before spending 16 years as Consultant on National Affairs at Anglican Church House in Toronto. In 1988 Peter saw 436 bird species in Canada – a record. For the past 18 years he has been parish priest at St. Paul’s Church, Masset, Haida Gwaii. Here wilderness is our garden and birds our neighbors. Together with his wife Margo, they have been writing about and documenting the birdlife of the islands for over 30 years.