No Feathers in Your Hats!

Florence Merriam Bailey loved birds and taught herself about them as a young girl by observing their behavior. By the time she was a young woman, she was advocating for birds and educating people about them. Her ideas were revolutionary and helped to spark the first nationwide conservation movement in the United States.

In the late 1800s, the study of birds was the province of men, pursued by hunting them with shotguns. But Florence believed that studying birds in their natural habitats was a superior approach and she argued forcefully for this. Through her advocacy, Florence brought the beauty and wonder of observing birds to the attention of the public. Her efforts marked the beginnings of birdwatching, now enjoyed by 96 million people in the US.
    In 1882, on her arrival to study at Smith College, Florence encountered birds adorning ladies’ hats! She learned that this fashion trend had resulted in the death of up to 5 million birds a year. Instead of simply urging her classmates to stop wearing feathered hats, she found more effective ways to convince them, showing them the beauty and value of live birds. This was the beginning of her efforts to spread an understanding of birds to the wider public.
    After college, she began writing nature articles and decided to compile a guide to 70 common U.S. birds. At the young age of 26, her birdwatching guide—the first to appear in the US—was published by Houghton Mifflin and it became a popular way for the public to learn about birds.
   This picture-book biography is authored by Lynn Street. Her recently released book, The Blue Jays That Grew a Forest, has received strong recognition. In 2026, it was honored as an ALA/ALSC Notable Book as well as an NSTA/CBC Outstanding Science Trade Book.
   Illustrations are by the talented Anne Lambelet, author-illustrator of Beatrix and Her Friends, a young picture book biography about Beatrix Potter to be published in May 2026.