Shorebirds in Modern Times: Two Centuries of Art, Science, and Conservation

Subhankar Banerjee has traveled the world, doing archival and field research (and photography) on shorebirds. His journeys have taken him across the United States to field locations in Alaska, Massachusetts, Maine, and New Mexico, and internationally to the Sundarban Tiger Reserve in India and Wadden Sea National Park in Denmark.

He is working toward a three-volume book and an accompanying exhibition, which will aim to include three entangled histories—art, material and visual culture; conservation; and science—and bring the story forward to the present day to honor and bring attention to the imperiled shorebirds of our time. Subhankar will discuss how today’s bird conservation movement resonates with a similar call issued during the late 19th century in the United States, sharing recent and current cultural battles and conservation initiatives.

Subhankar Banerjee is Professor of Art & Ecology and Founder and Director of the Center for Environmental Arts and Humanities at the University of New Mexico.