Book Publication Announcement

By Jessica Shepherd

This book has been a long time in the making, but it’s finally out in print!

A Place for the Birds – The Legacy of Creamer’s Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge explores the early history of Fairbanks, Alaska, and a family of dairy farmers who, for sixty years, met the needs of the growing community while serving as a haven for migratory waterfowl. Arriving by steamship from Nome, the Creamer family settled in Fairbanks in 1904, just two years after the gold mining town sprang up on the banks of the Chena River. Starting with three cows, the dairy expanded in size and capacity. At the same time, the farm became a social hub, with barn dances and school tours, offering a front-row seat to the cacophony of Sandhill Cranes, Canada and Snow Geese, and ducks drawn to the melt ponds and spent grain. In the late 1960s, the farm fell on hard times, but rather than see the 247 acres of fields and forests succumb to development, the Fairbanks community raised money for a down payment through donations and bake sales. Their timely intervention allowed the State of Alaska to secure the funds to purchase the fields, incorporate an additional 1,700 acres of State lands, and designate the farm as a Migratory Waterfowl Refuge under the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.

Jessica Shepherd holds a BA in Environmental Biology from the University of Colorado Boulder, an MA in Northern Studies from the University of Alaska Fairbanks, and an MFA in Creative Writing, non-fiction, from the University of Alaska Anchorage. In addition to a 30-year career as a science writer and educator, and research manager with the State of Alaska, she has published essays in 49 Writers, Alaska Women Speak, Humans of the World, Sad Girls Club, and Hip Pocket Press.

Illustrator Mark D. Ross is a a life-long artist and naturalist residing in Alaska’s Interior, Mark has shared his artwork and discoveries across mediums: in person, print, and radio, spanning a 35-year career as an environmental educator with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game at the Creamer’s Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge. Mark’s field sketchbook, Creamer’s Sounds and Sights is available for purchase.

Get your copy of A Place for the Birds through Amazon.com, Barnes and Nobel, or request it through your favorite independent book store!