Author Spotlight - Barbara MacKinnon-Haskins
Barbara MacKinnon-Haskins has been studying and promoting the conservation of the birds of the Yucatan Peninsula and their habitats for 48 years. She is the author of more than sixty articles, manuals, brochures, books and digital productions about the birds of the peninsula and the conservation of its biodiversity, including the Sal a Pajarear Yucatán bird guide, from one of the most recognized experts on the birds of the Yucatan Peninsula, and a promoter of both conservation and teaching.
For her long history promoting the conservation of the region’s ecosystems and adequate management of its natural resources, in 2006 she was awarded the Ecological Merit Award granted by the Secretariat of the Environment and Natural Resources of Mexico. She currently supervises the Sal a Pajarear program for the Fundación Transformación Arte y Educación and is a member of the Council of Protected Natural Areas of the state of Quintana Roo.
Her newest book is Memoirs of The Bird Lady of the Yucatan Peninsula. In it, we are confronted with a life story, told in the first person, in which the spirit of adventure prevails. With illustrative experiences and reflections, Barbara reveals her life to us. She tells us about her difficulties and achievements in adapting to a new culture in Mexico, totally different from the one in eastern North America where she grew up. She narrates her unusual wanderings through different regions of Mexico, from her stay in a remote fishing village in Jalisco to her experiences in the Cancun jungle, mostly untouched by humans for 500 years. She shares with us her history in birdwatching, from her personal involvement originating in the death of a pet parakeet, to becoming a pioneer birder in the Yucatan Peninsula. The result of her years of experience with birds, serving as a guide, researcher and educator, has resulted in her extensive assembly of books and articles on the theme.
It is a life story full of charisma and valuable information, in which one appreciates the author’s love for Mexico, in particular for the Mayan and mestizo culture of the Yucatan Peninsula and for its people, especially those living in rural communities. It is a book that will leave you with a deep imprint of the true meaning of empathy for human solidarity and for nature.
Memoirs of The Bird Lady of the Yucatan Peninsula is for sale at the library on our Local Author shelf.
