From his
earliest days exploring the natural world in his native Virginia, Charles
Clarkson always gravitated toward birds. They were easy to see almost
everywhere he went, and by high school he knew he wanted to dedicate his life
to them.
Today,
the 38-year-old Middletown resident leads a massive effort involving more than
200 volunteers to document every species of bird that breeds in every corner of
the Ocean State. And several times each year, he leads birdwatching tours to
Panama and other countries around the world.
“When
I see a bird, something emotional stirs inside of me,” he says. “Seeing birds
in their natural habitats doing what they’ve done for millions of years seemed
otherworldly.”
A
member of the board of the Aquidneck Land Trust and the Audubon Society of
Rhode
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| Keel-billed Toucan (Charles Clarkson) |
“They
operate at the maximum of their physiological capacity, they’re the epitome of
movement and grace, and it just seems impossible to me that they are capable of
surviving and thriving on every continent on the planet and in extremely
hostile environments,” he says. “And yet they figured it out. If the going gets
tough, birds get tougher.”
As a teen
obsessed with birds, however, Clarkson felt a bit like an outsider.
“Every
Friday night I would pack my backpack and set out on the Appalachian Trail by
myself, birding and camping,” he says. “But I never really got the feeling that
I was missing out on anything. I look back at my time spent alone in the woods
with a great deal of fondness.”
His
passion for birds even made him miss his graduate school commencement ceremony
because he was leading a birdwatching excursion to Scotland and Iceland. But
again, he claims not to feel as if he missed anything. “Viewing Atlantic puffin
colonies definitely takes priority,” Clarkson says.
Luckily,
he has a supportive wife who sees the benefits of his ornithological
activities. She even joins him occasionally and participates in pre- and
post-trip gatherings with his birdwatching friends and clients.
According
to Clarkson, Newport County is an ideal place to look for birds at any time of
the year. The region has an abundance of warblers, vireos, thrushes, sparrows
and other songbirds that breed in the area, and is a significant spot for
wintering waterfowl. He notes that Miantonomi Park is one of the best locations
in the state to observe songbird migration in the spring, and Sachuest Point
National Wildlife Refuge is “unparalleled” for its abundance of ducks in the
winter — as well as for the regular appearance of snowy, short-eared and barn
owls.
It’s
not necessary to be a scientist to appreciate birds, so Clarkson encourages
everyone to be attentive to the winged creatures around them.
“They’re
one of the most observable wildlife on Earth,” he says. “Watching birds lends
itself well to everybody — to family groups, to children. It’s accessible to a
large audience, and there’s not a lot of startup costs. Birding is a gateway
drug to learning about the entire ecosystem. Birds are the harbingers of things
to come.”
Clarkson’s
main activity for the last five years has been as leader of the Rhode Island
Breeding Bird Atlas, which has documented the breeding status of more than 165
bird species in the state and the habitats each prefers.
“Knowing
this information gives us the tools for effective conservation,” he says. “It
helps us figure out what we need to do to attract certain suites of species and
to manage for overall biodiversity.”
For
those interested in learning about birds beyond the local area, Clarkson leads
several tours each year to Panama and occasionally to Iceland, South Africa and
other destinations through his company, Antbird Tours. Home to more than 1,000
species of birds, Panama’s location between North and South America means it
sees huge numbers of migrating birds traveling back and forth each year, and it
is one of the best places in the world to see migrating hawks. The resident
species are spectacularly colorful, and include toucans, parrots, tanagers and
dozens of kinds of hummingbirds.
“All
of this occurs in a country roughly the size of South Carolina,” Clarkson says.
“It’s easily accessible, and I can cater a trip to whatever you want to see. In
five days, you can get a good introduction to tropical birding. And it’s
impossible to go there without returning with a good sense of how tropical
ecosystems work and the role of birds.”
Clarkson
notes that it’s not necessary to be a birdwatcher to enjoy his Panama tours. In
addition to birds, his clients also usually see several kinds of monkeys,
sloths, anteaters and lots of beautiful butterflies, among a long list of other
creatures.
“It
doesn’t matter what your interests are; I’m happy to take you there just to
show you the magnificent biodiversity of the tropics,” he said. “When I take
people to Panama and show them how a healthy rainforest operates, they become
changed by the experience.”
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