Author Margaret Atwood has donated C$1m, equivalent to roughly £540,000, to Western University in London, Ontario, to establish the Graeme Gibson chair in avian biology. Announced on Friday, the gift honors her late partner and fellow novelist Graeme Gibson, funding research into how migratory birds find their way and adapt to environmental changes.
Funding Avian Research at Western University
The newly created chair aims to expand scientific understanding of fundamental avian processes, including how birds move, adapt, and behave amid profound environmental transformations. Western University houses the advanced facility for avian research, which features the world’s first hypobaric climatic wind tunnel for bird flight. Chris Guglielmo, co-director of the research facility, noted that while researchers understand that birds use magnetic fields for orientation, the mechanics behind avian navigation remain a major scientific mystery.
Atwood explained that her decision to fund the position stems from a long-standing belief in the power of science to answer basic questions about the natural world. She noted that she maintains a platform and extra financial resources to support environmental and educational causes.
A Shared Passion for Birds and Conservation
In his final years, dementia impaired his ability to journal about birds, but he continued to watch them daily from his home.
The couple frequently incorporated their passion for birds into their public lives, famously dressing up as Odin’s mythical ravens, Thought and Memory, for a literary party using black construction paper beaks and black gloves. Atwood herself has stated that if she could transform into any animal, she would choose a raven due to its intelligence and social adaptability.
The donation also highlights ongoing field research efforts in the region, including work at the Pelee Island Bird Observatory on Lake Erie. Researchers at the observatory capture and band migratory birds each morning to log data on migration patterns.
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