On Friday, the University’s department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences hosted Dr. Timothy Gallagher, a bird specialist famous for being one of the first three people to rediscover the ivory-billed woodpecker last seen in April 1944. Gallagher was on campus discussing his new book, “The Grail Bird: Hot on the Trail of the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker.”

With a full-house turnout in the “D” classroom of the Law Building, featuring guests as varied as environmental law students, professional scientists, the public and amateur bird-watchers, Gallagher gave a 90-minute presentation on his exploits in the deep South and bayous with varied friends and colleagues on the elusive hunt of the ivory-billed woodpecker. He brought with him a full-picture presentation, a lot of anecdotes, visual aids and a very detailed story on the perseverance and pursuit to re-discover one of the lost treasures of the avian world.

During his lecture, Gallagher proposed the need for more diligence in protecting endangered species or even potentially extinct species. He redrew the audience’s attention to the atrocities committed to the environment soon after the Civil War that dramatically changed and eliminated the former old growth and primeval forests that existed in the Deep South. Included in Gallagher’s pictures were archived photos of the logging of Cypress trees that were 15-feet-wide, and more than 1,000-years-old.

“Bears, wolves, panthers and many other species of animals dwelled in those old forests, and humankind eventually wiped out the habitats,” Gallagher said.

He said, “Civil War soldiers even shot the rather large ivory-billed woodpeckers for food.”

Although the audience was highly diverse, they shared similar concerns.

Joyce Hofmann, a professional biologist, said she “heard about the chance to hear from the man who helped find an extinct species, which is important, and presents many questions.”

Hofmann specializes in mammals, but demonstrated the camaraderie of the scientific community by attending the presentation.

Laura Roberts, graduate student, posed a strong question shared by many in their sentiments, “What research is going to be done now that they’ve discovered this bird?”

Lynette Miller-Ishmael and a companion drove forty-five minutes just to hear Gallagher, who has appeared on CNN and 60 Minutes with Ed Bradley (who spent a month with Gallagher in the field).

During the 1930’s -40’s, while the rest of the old growth forests were being chopped down and destroyed piece by piece, the U.S. Government invested their habitat protection interests in the West, with such places as Yosemite and Yellowstone, Gallagher said.

He also mentioned that museums, at that time, felt they needed to start collecting the ivory-billed woodpeckers before they became extinct. Soon thereafter, people with rifles were wading through the bayous, gathering the last of the wild specimens.

Other interesting observations were noted, such as the real ‘spotters’ being hunters and fishermen; people able to stay in a remote area, still or motionless, for extended periods of time, whereas bird-watchers tended to stay on the outside of the swamps and bayous with their binoculars and equipment. Gallagher and his colleagues spent week after week in the cold birding season – often in kayaks and usually camouflaged – just for a chance to verify reports of remote hunters describing a, “large, Pileated woodpecker, but with different color patterns.” Gallagher’s exploits took him to Arkansas and Louisiana, usually in highly uncomfortable conditions and situations, and often in the companionship of colorful characters.

Following his instincts finally paid off, with a brief flash of “the bird” flying right in front of his and his companion Bob Harrison’s eyes. They both turned to each other and yelled, “ivory-billed!!” The duo turned in their field notes, and began a new crusade and chapter into the life of the fabled ivory-billed woodpecker.