In the 1850s, Brooklyn was beset by a plague of worms. Every spring, as soon as trees began putting on their leaves, these moth larvae would strip the trees bare, hang webs between the branches, and drop onto “hat, bonnet, dress, and person, to the disquiet of everyone” hoping for a pleasant visit to the…
Month: May 2025
Birds For Me And None For Thee: Sportsmen were the first to protect America’s birds – by reserving birds for themselves
A few months ago I wrote a piece for Bird History about eating robins. When I started researching the article, I figured it would be something short and straightforward: “Isn’t it interesting that people used to eat robins? Here are some recipes.” Of course, once I started digging in, I learned that the story was…