Where Birds Live? departs from the earlier two picture books in format and amount of text, but not in spirit. This book really let me go all out and illustrate some of my favorite creatures on the planet: birds. My goal for the book is that it will serve as an early field guide for young readers, giving them an introductory glimpse of fourteen different birds and the specific habitats they live in. When the University of Iowa Press came to me with the idea of a picture book on birds, one that would include other habitats beyond the midwestern region, I was enthusiastic but a bit intimidated. There is so much environmental diversity within our country. And hundreds of different birds live in all kinds of habitats. It stretched me to learn about other bird habitats within North America. I hope that what we created will encourage kids, wherever they live, to look up in the sky and connect with what they see.
What advice do you give younger nature artists?
Find time to observe quietly, and you’ll be rewarded. Be ready with a pencil and notebook at any time (or a camera, for sketching later). Enjoy the shape and form of birds first and don’t worry too much about whether you know their names; that knowledge can come later. Read and seek out other nature writers and artists who have come before you.
What are your favorite natural areas in Iowa or the Midwest?
In Iowa City, I love Hickory Hill Park and walk there regularly. Knowing that I will see, smell, and hear subtle changes in every season makes me feel part of the rhythm of things. I also love that other people use the park and enjoy and appreciate nature, too. Lake Macbride and the raptor center are much loved by my family—for a winter walk to see eagles, a summer paddle boat ride just enjoying the sun and water, or a spring or summer picnic destination, it is a great place to be and so accessible. All the local parks—Kent and Palisades Kepler, for example—provide opportunities to enjoy wildlife and native flora. Further beyond, I love the Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge outside of Des Moines. There is a wonderful interpretive prairie learning center on the grounds.
Recently, just here in Iowa City, a newly formed nonprofit foundation called the Harvest Preserve has begun to open its doors to the public with events and programs. It’s a hundred-acre piece of land in the northeast corner of town that has a mixed past of agricultural use with some native woodland. The organizers plan to enhance, restore, and preserve native prairie and woodland here. Some trails have already been established. I’ve had the opportunity to spend time there, even to sketch, and it is an enchanting place. We are fortunate that this parcel of land has landed in the hands of some generous, nature-loving Iowans.
Remember that even watching a chickadee hammer open a seed on a tree in your own backyard can be a treat. When you love nature, you are never bored!
Claudia McGehee, author and illustrator of Where Do Birds Live?, A Woodland Counting Book and A Tallgrass Prairie Alphabet and illustrator of The Iowa Nature Calendar
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