Strange teachers -- C'est levee -- Song of the house sparrow -- Our lady of the applesauce -- The quiet broken ones -- A category five plan -- Hail to the thunder-pumper -- Roll that teacher down the hill -- The great geese wars -- The birder's gaze -- In the kingdom of Dumetella -- An elephant, a magnificent jellyfish, and an American woodcock walk into a bar

"In this uplifting memoir, a professor and activist shares what birds can teach us about life, social change, and protecting the environment"--

"After Hurricane Katrina destroyed Trish O'Kane's home, she was inspired by the birds around her to pursue an environmental studies PhD in Madison, Wisconsin. There she became a full-on bird obsessive -- filling field notebooks with bird doings and dramas, and teaching ornithology to college students and middle-school kids. When Warner Park -- her daily birdwatching haven -- was threatened with development, O'Kane and her neighbors mustered a mighty murmuration of nature lovers to save the birds' homes. In Birding to Change the World, O'Kane details the astonishing science of bird life, including the territorial defense strategies that influenced her own activism. A warm and compelling weave of science and social engagement, this story of an improbable band of bird lovers who saved their park is a blueprint for muscular citizenship, powered by joy." --