Professor Thomas Dunlap, author of the recently published In the Field, Among the Feathered: A History of Birders and Their Guides, is a professor in the history department at Texas A & M University. He is the author of numerous articles in the areas of environmental history and values, an expert witness on DDT, long-time birder and conservationist.

Dunlap's brilliant environmental history of birders and the ubiquitous guides reveals new insights about a critical convergence of science, art, recreation, and conservation. His engaging and enlightening narrative demonstrates antecedents of our current enthusiasms for sustainability and clearly shows the critical role of citizen science and popular recreation in establishing the foundations for modern environmentalism.