Mecklenburg County Ornithology Collection, 1926-2017
Content Description
This collections contains materials relating to the Carolina Bird Club, Mecklenburg Audobon Society, Parks and Recreation Department, Catawba Waterfowl Inc.. Examples of materials include bulletins, correspondence, scrapbooks, environmental program analysis, newsletters, bird watching notes, and newspaper clippings, among other materials. Materials dated 1926-2017. Collection materials are arranged into 8 series:
Series 1: “The Chat,” 1937-2017, Carolina Bird Club bulletins.
Series 2: Mecklenburg Audubon Society, 1970-1991, “Audubon News” newsletter (1970-2006) and minutes from the Mecklenburg Audubon Society Board Meeting and Planning Sessions, 1982-1991. Also includes correspondence from regional Audubon societies and a guest book.
Series 3: Parks and Recreation Department,1994-2006, contains environmental program analysis and newsletters from the Division of Natural Resources.
Series 4: William B. McIlwaine’s Bird Notes, 1926-1931, includes typed bird watching notes and newspaper clippings from the Charlotte News.
Series 5: Flo Cobey records,1960-1991, Florapearl Armstrong Cobey bird watching notes and check list cards.
Series 6: Scrapbooks, 1957-1981, Catawba Waterfowl Inc. scrapbook with newspaper clippings and correspondence covering the creation of the Catawba Waterfowl Inc. Also includes film reels.
Series 7: Audubon Society Scrapbook, 1960-1981, contains newspaper clippings from 1960-1981, letters and photos.
Series 8: Miscellaneous, 1834-2000, includes Boy Scouts of America Handbook for boys and a bird study merit badge series, Nature magazine, various books and a photograph.
Dates
- 1926 - 2017
Creator
- Carolina Bird Club (Organization)
- Mecklenburg Audubon Society (Mecklenburg County, N.C.) (Organization)
Conditions Governing Access
This collection is open to the public without restriction. The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material.
Conditions Governing Use
Permission to duplicate or publish material from [Enter collection title] must be obtained from the Robinson-Spangler Carolina Room, Charlotte Mecklenburg Library.
Biographical / Historical
The Carolina Bird Club was founded in 1937 for the study and conservation of birds in the Carolinas. The club holds annual meetings, conducts field trips and bird censuses and collaborates with government agencies. “The Chat” was the club’s official bulletin and included articles and bird censuses written by members.
The Mecklenburg Audubon Society is the Charlotte region’s oldest environmental organization. It was formed in 1940 and was affiliated with the Carolina Bird Club. Floralpearl Armstrong Cobey was a party leader for this organization.
William B. McIlwaine, Jr. was a reverend at the Westminster Presbyterian Church in Charlotte, NC. He regularly wrote articles for the Charlotte News on his bird watching experiences.
Catawba Waterfowl Inc. was formed in 1960 to establish a waterfowl sanctuary on Lake Norman. Their mission was to aid in the conservation of the waterfowl population and to provide hunting opportunities for its members.
Extent
7.66 Linear Feet
9.33 Cubic Feet
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
This collection contains scrapbooks, artifacts, bulletins and newsletters pertaining to local ornithology clubs including the Carolina Bird Club, the Mecklenburg Audubon Society, Parks and Recreation and private individuals’ personal collections. Materials are in good condition and dated 1926-2017.
Arrangement
Collection materials are arranged into 8 series:
Series 1: “The Chat,” 1937-2017, Carolina Bird Club bulletins.
Series 2: Mecklenburg Audubon Society, 1970-1991, “Audubon News” newsletter (1970-2006) and minutes from the Mecklenburg Audubon Society Board Meeting and Planning Sessions, 1982-1991. Also includes correspondence from regional Audubon societies and a guest book.
Series 3: Parks and Recreation Department,1994-2006, contains environmental program analysis and newsletters from the Division of Natural Resources.
Series 4: William B. McIlwaine’s Bird Notes, 1926-1931, includes typed bird watching notes and newspaper clippings from the Charlotte News.
Series 5: Flo Cobey records,1960-1991, Florapearl Armstrong Cobey bird watching notes and check list cards.
Series 6: Scrapbooks, 1957-1981, Catawba Waterfowl Inc. scrapbook with newspaper clippings and correspondence covering the creation of the Catawba Waterfowl Inc. Also includes film reels.
Series 7: Audubon Society Scrapbook, 1960-1981, contains newspaper clippings from 1960-1981, letters and photos.
Series 8: Miscellaneous, 1834-2000, includes Boy Scouts of America Handbook for boys and a bird study merit badge series, Nature magazine, various books and a photograph.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
This collection was donated to the Robinson-Spangler Carolina Room by Donald Seriff (on behalf of Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation) on 2019-11-06.
Condition Description
Series 4 William B. McIlwaine’s bird watching notes are yellow and brittle; Series 6 Catawba Waterfall Inc. Collection contains microfilms and the scrapbook isn’t bound together. Series 7 Audubon Society Scrapbook is brittle.
Processing Information
The processing, arrangement, and description of this collection was completed by Lacey Stith in November 2019.
- Bird watching Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Birds Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- City and County Government Subject Source: Local sources
- Clubs and Organizations Subject Source: Local sources
- Correspondence Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Education Subject Source: Local sources
- Ornithology Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Photographs Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Programs Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Scrapbooks Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Title
- Mecklenburg County Ornithology Collection, 1926-2017
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Lacey Stith
- Date
- 2019-11
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Box: 1 (Mixed Materials)
- Box: 2 (Mixed Materials)
- Box: 3 (Mixed Materials)
- Box: 4 (Mixed Materials)
- Box: 5 (Mixed Materials)
- Box: 6 (Mixed Materials)
- Box: 7 (Mixed Materials)
- Box: 8 (Mixed Materials)
- Box: 9 (Mixed Materials)
- Box: 10 (Mixed Materials)
- Box: 11 (Mixed Materials)
- Box: 12 (Mixed Materials)
- Box: 13 (Mixed Materials)
- Box: 14 (Mixed Materials)
Repository Details
Part of the Robinson-Spangler Carolina Room, Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Repository
Charlotte Mecklenburg Library-Main
310 N. Tryon Street
Charlotte NC 28202 USA
carolinaroom@cmlibrary.org
