BCR 086: Pete Dunne; 2nd For The Record, Legacy Interview™ Series
When he was seven years old, Pete Dunne was presented with two instruments that would define his life. One was a pair of binoculars; the other a book—a book about birds. One brought intimacy; the other knowledge and through them the woodlands behind his suburban home became a portal that opened onto a world of discovery and wonders.
Pete Dunne uses his talents and energy to make the natural world real for others through his twelve books. He’s latest title includes Birds of Prey.
A field birder with an international reputation, he has served on the board of the American Birding Association and the Roger Tory Peterson Institute. An authority on the optical needs of birders he has served as a marketing and product advisor to Zeiss, Leica, Swarovski Optik, Nikon, Bausch and Lomb and others.
Dunne takes time to lead an every Monday morning bird walk in season, and in Autumn assist with the Cape May Hawk Count—the count he established 35 years ago. “It keeps me grounded in what is real and what is important,” he explains.
He is also the founder of, and a 33-year veteran of the World Series of Birding. Called “The Worlds Greatest Natural Treasure Hunt,” the annual event attracts over 100 teams and has raised over $9,000,000 for conservation.
In recognition of this event, and for “life time achievement” promoting the cause of birding, Dunne was awarded the American Birding Association’s Roger Tory Peterson Award in 2001. Other awards include the EPA Environmental Protection Award, Governor’s Conference on Tourism Environmental Award and the 1991 Winchester Good News Hunting Writer’s Contest 1st prize.
When not working as New Jersey Audubon’s Ambassador of Birding, writing, traveling, or birding; Dunne spends his time with wife Linda and the couple’s Labrador retriever, Raven in the riverside hamlet of Mauricetown, NJ.
Show Notes:
- Get “into” birding
- Unheated porch in Cape May Point
- Founder of The World Series of Birding.
- Part of a not-yet-completed four-book series.
- Suffered a debilitating stroke, what has this taught you?
- Birding Ambassador for the New Jersey Audubon Society.
- Are you a bird watcher or a birder?
- Pete Dunne, the hunter.
- Final take away.
Mentioned In This Episode:
Cape May Bird Observatory (CMBO)
BirdCallsRadio additional information:
Subscribe to our podcast for Mac users at Apple iTunes Podcasts, PC users at Stitcher, and please leave a rating or a review if you are so inclined! We appreciate it!