Kenn Kaufman
Encyclopedia
Kenn Kaufman is an American
author
, artist
, naturalist
, and conservationist
, known for his work on several popular field guide
s of birds and butterflies in North America.
Born in South Bend, Indiana
, Kaufman started birding from the age of six. When he was 9, his family moved to Wichita, Kansas
, where his fascination with birds only intensified. At age sixteen, inspired by birding pioneers such as Roger Tory Peterson
, he dropped out of high school and began hitchhiking around North America in pursuit of birds. Three years later, in 1973, he set the record for the most North American bird species seen in one year (671), though this record included regions like Baja California
that are no longer ornithologically considered part of North America, and it has since been surpassed. His cross-country birding journey, covering some eighty thousand miles, was eventually recorded in a memoir, Kingbird Highway.
Subsequently, he focused his work on creating and expanding upon birding field guides. In 1992, he was given the Ludlow Griscom Award
by the American Birding Association
. Kaufman also received the ABA Roger Tory Peterson Award in 2008 for a "lifetime of achievements in promoting the cause of birding."
Kaufman currently resides in Oak Harbor, Ohio
. His wife's name is Kimberly.
Kenn Kaufman, as a youth worked at Quivira Scout Ranch, near Sedan,Kansas. QSR is a wilderness camp, where Kenn was a Nature Director and taught Bird Study merit badge, as well as many others. He created the first and only Quvira Council bird species list for this 3,500 acre camp, and his influence is still highly regarded today. Today Kenn writes for Birds and Blooms, Bird Watcher's Digest, and works/volunteers at the Black Swamp Bird Observatory.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
, artist
Artist
An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
, naturalist
Natural history
Natural history is the scientific research of plants or animals, leaning more towards observational rather than experimental methods of study, and encompasses more research published in magazines than in academic journals. Grouped among the natural sciences, natural history is the systematic study...
, and conservationist
Conservationist
Conservationists are proponents or advocates of conservation. They advocate for the protection of all the species in an ecosystem with a strong focus on the natural environment...
, known for his work on several popular field guide
Field guide
A field guide is a book designed to help the reader identify wildlife or other objects of natural occurrence . It is generally designed to be brought into the 'field' or local area where such objects exist to help distinguish between similar objects...
s of birds and butterflies in North America.
Born in South Bend, Indiana
South Bend, Indiana
The city of South Bend is the county seat of St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States, on the St. Joseph River near its southernmost bend, from which it derives its name. As of the 2010 Census, the city had a total of 101,168 residents; its Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 316,663...
, Kaufman started birding from the age of six. When he was 9, his family moved to Wichita, Kansas
Wichita, Kansas
Wichita is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas.As of the 2010 census, the city population was 382,368. Located in south-central Kansas on the Arkansas River, Wichita is the county seat of Sedgwick County and the principal city of the Wichita metropolitan area...
, where his fascination with birds only intensified. At age sixteen, inspired by birding pioneers such as Roger Tory Peterson
Roger Tory Peterson
Roger Tory Peterson , was an American naturalist, ornithologist, artist, and educator, and held to be one of the founding inspirations for the 20th century environmental movement.-Background:...
, he dropped out of high school and began hitchhiking around North America in pursuit of birds. Three years later, in 1973, he set the record for the most North American bird species seen in one year (671), though this record included regions like Baja California
Baja California
Baja California officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is both the northernmost and westernmost state of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1953, the area was known as the North...
that are no longer ornithologically considered part of North America, and it has since been surpassed. His cross-country birding journey, covering some eighty thousand miles, was eventually recorded in a memoir, Kingbird Highway.
Subsequently, he focused his work on creating and expanding upon birding field guides. In 1992, he was given the Ludlow Griscom Award
Ludlow Griscom Award
The Ludlow Griscom Award for Outstanding Contributions in Regional Ornithology is an award bestowed by the American Birding Association upon individuals who are determined to have "dramatically advanced the state of ornithological knowledge for a particular region", through long-term studies of...
by the American Birding Association
American Birding Association
The American Birding Association is a non-profit organization of people interested in birding. Begun in 1968, the ABA is the only organization in North America that specifically caters to recreational birders. Membership is open to all...
. Kaufman also received the ABA Roger Tory Peterson Award in 2008 for a "lifetime of achievements in promoting the cause of birding."
Kaufman currently resides in Oak Harbor, Ohio
Oak Harbor, Ohio
Oak Harbor is a village in Ottawa County, Ohio, United States. Oak Harbor is 30 miles east of Toledo. The population was 2,841 at the 2000 census...
. His wife's name is Kimberly.
Kenn Kaufman, as a youth worked at Quivira Scout Ranch, near Sedan,Kansas. QSR is a wilderness camp, where Kenn was a Nature Director and taught Bird Study merit badge, as well as many others. He created the first and only Quvira Council bird species list for this 3,500 acre camp, and his influence is still highly regarded today. Today Kenn writes for Birds and Blooms, Bird Watcher's Digest, and works/volunteers at the Black Swamp Bird Observatory.
External links
- Kenn Kaufman's Nature Site
- Kenn Kaufman interview at birdwatching.com
- Kenn Kaufman interview at BirdingBirding (magazine)Birding is the bimonthly members' magazine of the American Birding Association. While not a formal journal, Birding offers enthusiasts in-depth and scholarly articles on field identification and bird conservation. Each issue also features tips on North American and foreign birdfinding, news in the...
magazine