Acknowledgments

There were many generous individuals who shared their time and knowledge with me during the course of working on this project. I am especially grateful to Deirdre Robinson, Co-Director of the Saltmarsh Sparrow Research Initiative, whose boundless energy and enthusiasm is matched only by her generosity of spirit in sharing her expertise. Thanks also goes to the Rose Island Lighthouse Foundation and their artist residency program, which allowed me to spend an invigorating week birding on Rose island while working on the written portion of this guide. Sean O’Connor, Jen Thum, and Chris Reeves were instrumental in making this opportunity possible. I am also thankful to Ayako Maruyama who tipped me off to a Barred Owl in her neighborhood, where I had my first in person encounter with one of these creatures, and to Sheida Soleimani, Founder and Executive Director of Congress of the Birds for sharing photos of owls that passed through the rehabilitation clinic.

The production process was just as integral as creating the content, and I would like to acknowledge the team at Meridian Printing, in East Greenwich, Rhode Island. Special thanks to Giovanna Lee, who went above and beyond to fulfill my specifications within the given budget to produce this beautiful book. Her resourcefulness and helpful suggestions regarding the paper were indispensable. This project would not have been possible without the generous financial support from the Interlace Grant Fund, the Rhode Island Chapter of the Awesome Foundation, and the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards Alumni Microgrant Program. The Interlace Grant gave me the initial confidence and financial boost to move forward with this project, while the latter two grants were a great help when production fees became much bigger than expected. Jori Ketten, the Program Manager for Interlace, along with Xander Marro and Pippi Zornoza, Co-Founders and Administrators of Interlace, were always willing to listen and brainstorm a solution, patiently answering my many queries. I am truly thankful that artist grants like these exist, and want to say thank you to all the organizers who make them possible.

Last but not least, I want to express my sincere gratitude to my collaborator Marie Otsuka. This guide would not have been half as good without her thoughtful attention to every detail, and the many conversations we had bouncing ideas, along with her patient flexibility as the project grew in scope. Marie’s enthusiasm for the subject and willingness to devote time towards this guide was one of the original sparks that made me think this idea would one day become a tangible book.