The NCTC Conservation Lecture Series Presents: The Last Heath Hen, An Extinction Story with Author Christie Palmer Lowrance
Free and open to the public – no tickets or reservations required!
In honor of Earth Day, join us in the Byrd Auditorium at the National Conservation Training Center on Tuesday, April 22 at 7:00 PM ET, for a special presentation by author and historian Christie Palmer Lowrance, who will share the fascinating and poignant true story of the Heath Hen, a bird once native to the eastern U.S. that became extinct in 1933.
Based on her book The Last Heath Hen: An Extinction Story, Lowrance draws from firsthand accounts by naturalist Thornton Burgess and ornithologist Dr. Alfred Gross, as well as rare archival footage restored by Bowdoin College and the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife. This lecture will explore one of the earliest conservation efforts in history and the only known North American extinction with a documented last wild individual.
Lowrance will also discuss her earlier work, Nature's Ambassador: The Legacy of Thornton W. Burgess, highlighting Burgess's role in shaping American conservation, including his contributions to the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
Location: Byrd Auditorium, National Conservation Training Center Byrd Auditorium
698 Conservation Way Shepherdstown, WV 25443
Date: Tuesday, April 22, 2025
Time: 7:00 PM ET
Can’t attend in person? The presentation will be recorded and available online April 29 at 2:00 PM ET.
This event is part of the NCTC Conservation Lecture Series, co-sponsored by The Friends of the NCTC.
For more info, contact Mark Madison at (304) 876-7276 or mark_madison@fws.gov.