Baird Ornithological Club

In 1921 Harold R. Morris 

named the Reading Bird Club. 

Later renamed the Baird Ornithological Club in honor of Spencer Fullerton Baird (1823-1887), the second secretary (director) of the Smithsonian Institution, who was born in Reading in 1823. Earl L. Poole was the first president of the Baird Ornithological Club from 1921-1946. He was also the assistant director of the Reading Public Museum and Art Gallery. Upon the retirement of Levi Mengel at the age of 70 in 1939, Earl Poole was appointed acting director of the museum.

The early meetings were very informal and were comprised of seven or eight birders. There were no planned programs, but general conversations about bird records usually led to chalk drawings and detailed explanations by Earl Poole.

The wikipedia page about the Baird Ornithological Club

  Dec 11, 7:30 pm - Insect Apocalypse by Dr. Ashley Kennedy

 Via ZOOM. (Joint meeting with Mengel Natural History Society)Your yard might look beautiful, but how do you know if it's contributing to the local ecosystem? Numerous studies from around the world suggest that insect populations are in decline, and that affects birds who rely on insects for food. Dr. Ashley Kennedy will show how food webs connect plants, insects, and birds, and how you can convert your yard into better wildlife habitat for these groups. Dr. Kennedy earned her doctorate at the University of Delaware's Dept. of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology. She is a board-certified entomologist, a Science Policy Fellow of the Entomological Society of America, and a member of the Delaware Native Species Commission. She currently researches tick-borne diseases at the Army Public Health Center in Edgewood, MD.
Photo: Caterpillars are an important part of the food webs that support birds. Here is a Canadian Owlet Caterpillar eating a meadow-rue plant. photo by Mike Slater