Wings Over the Inland Seas: The Captain Perkins Project is a multi-partner initiative to inspire awareness, stewardship, and protection of bird migration in the Great Lakes region.
Project Leads
Ryan Atwell, PhD
Environmental Social Scientist & Ecologist NatureWerks
Anna Peterson, PhD
Migratory Bird Biologist NatureWerks
Advising Partners
Francie Cuthbert, Professor Emeritus of Ornithology, Dept. of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation biology, University of Minnesota
Joanna Eckles, Bird City Network Coordinator, American Bird Conservancy
Douglas Johnson, Emeritus Research Statistician and Senior Scientist, U.S. Geological Survey
Margie Menzies, Education Director, Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory, Duluth Minnesota
Mark Shieldcastle, Special Projects Director, Black Swamp Bird Observatory, Oak Harbor Ohio
Sparky Stensaas, Founder and Executive Director, Friends of Sax-Zim Bog, Duluth Minnesota. Author of “Perk’s Floating Forest”
“In my long career, I have worked on hundreds of research projects. The story of Captain Perkins is one of the most personally compelling. Not only is it an early and valuable example of citizen science, but the captain’s story itself is captivating. NatureWerks threads migration science and his legacy with grace.”
Dr. Douglas Johnson, Emeritus Research Statistician, University of Minnesota and US Geological Survey
Interested in learning more about the project? Want to help bring the stories of Captain Perkins and migratory birds to your community? We’d love to hear from you!
