Listen to the Podcast

In this episode of Biographers in Conversation, Christie Lowrance chats with Gabriella about her choices while writing Nature’s Ambassador: The Legacy of Thornton W. Burgess, the children’s author and naturalist. Christie’s book is the first complete biography of the preeminent twentieth century naturalist, wildlife advocate, children’s author and pioneer in environmental education and radio programming, credited by many with laying a foundation for the twentieth century's Nature Movement.

Christie Lowrance shares her inspiration for writing Nature’s Ambassador and why she lives in the house in which Thornton Burgess was born. Nature’s Ambassador includes a trove of primary source material, with extensive quotations from Thornton’s correspondence, journals and interviews with a multiplicity of people. Christie describes how she conducted this research and how she narrowed the biographical scope to prevent writing a tome. She also shares her strategy for balancing Thornton’s professional, personal and inner lives and the literary devices she employed to create a captivating narrative.

Christie closes our conversation by describing her recently published book The Last Heath Hen: An Extinction Story. It is a true account of the dwindling days of a species of wild bird on the island of Martha’s Vineyard and the efforts to save it. She wrote it for young readers to show them the complexity of conservation and the importance of valuing all wildlife.

"Ms. Lowrance has captured the generous spirit, curious mind and loving heart of a children's author whose simple message of respect and concern for wildlife reached across the country and over the seas. I can speak of the years of research, countless interviews and editing struggles this author went through to be absolutely certain she was capturing the character of the man and his impact on not only children's literature but on the history of wildlife conservation and habitat preservation in our country.

Much of this he accomplished by engaging children through rooted-in-fact, well crafted fictional literature. It is time to recognize this man who left us such an amazing legacy. Ken Burns, here is inspiration for a new project!"

MARY BEERS,
Education Director
Thornton W. Burgess Society

For over 100 years, the animal books and stories of beloved children’s author Thornton W. Burgess have delighted millions of children and their parents; more than half of his seventy books remain in print today. However, there was much more to Burgess, the man, than just a writer of children's books: he was a dedicated naturalist who was honoured by prestigious scientific institutions for his advocacy of wildlife and conservation practices that resonate today. His books, syndicated columns, and radio programs both entertained and educated children, introducing them to wildlife habitat, species extinction and roadside litter. Some books became the basis of ‘Fables of the Green Forest’, an internationally popular children’s 1970s television cartoon. ‘Nature’s Ambassador’ explores Burgess’s life and legacy, from his Cape Cod childhood to the present. With engaging text and historical pictures, this new biography will be a valuable addition to collections of historians, environmentalists, educators, librarians and parents.

"In her impeccably researched and organized biography, Ms. Lowrance gives us not only the complete life of Burgess, but the times and the connections...and we see him brand-new...as naturalist, environmentalist, conservationist, teacher, son, husband, father, grandfather, and the amazing children's writer he was. ... This will remain the definitive Thornton Burgess volume for years to come, for scholars, naturalists, environmentalists, educators, and of course for us, Thornton W. Burgess fans everywhere."

CAROLYN LESSER, Author
John Burroughs Award for
Children's Literature

"Thornton Burgess came to embrace his role as a public educator. He argued that 'the failure to give nature study its proper place in education in the past is largely responsible for the vanishing wildlife and forests of today' (p. 207). The cure was "to see to it that next generation and succeeding generations are nature lovers (p. 207)." This philosophy has animated much of North American environmental reform.

Moreover, it has been one of the most democratic and inclusive parts of the conservation impulse. Thornton Burgess clearly stands tall in that tradition."

"Nature's Ambassador gives us a foundation for understanding Thornton Burgess' contributions, and thus a means to think through the role of sentiment and education as it relates to the limits and achievements of conservation."

KEVIN ARMITAGE,
Environmental History
Journal, October 2014

Christie Palmer Lowrance has passionately pursued her writing career as a journalist, freelance and travel writer, biographer, instructor and editor/consultant. Her work covers diverse subjects primarily related to Cape Cod's history, art, literature, commerce, and maritime work. She has taught writing at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, Cape Cod Community College, and the Cape Cod Writers Conference.

Ms. Lowrance holds a B.A. (English) from Hobart & William Smith Colleges and an M.A. (Professional Writing) from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. Titled ‘A Study in Issues: Shipwreck Preservation and Management,’ her thesis work focused extensively on the groundbreaking work of underwater archaeologist Dr. George F. Bass, whose biography she is currently writing.

Learn More: www.christielowrance.com