Passenger Pigeon Extinction ...by Stanley A. Temple, Prof Emeritus, UW-Madison

Lessons from the Past for a Sustainable Future. In 1914, the last surviving Passenger Pigeon died in a Cincinnati zoo. The loss of one of the world?s most abundant birds stands as the iconic extinction event in our country?s history. Temple recounts the sobering story of the Passenger Pigeon and what it can tell us about the ongoing extinction crisis and our relationship with other species. Temple is the Beers-Bascom Professor Emeritus in Conservation at UW-Madison. For 32 years he held the academic position once occupied by Aldo Leopold. He has spent his career working to save endangered species and the habitats on which they depend. He is currently a Senior Fellow with the Aldo Leopold Foundation.