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Myrna Pearman

From EverybodyWiki Bios & Wiki

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Myrna Pearman
File:Myrna Pearman headshot photo.jpgMyrna Pearman headshot photo.jpg Myrna Pearman headshot photo.jpg
BornJanuary 14, 1956
Rimbey, Alberta, Canada
💼 Occupation
Known forOrnithology Research And Books About Birds
Notable workBackyard Bird Feeding: An Alberta Guide
HonoursHonorary Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society
🌐 Websitehttps://www.myrnapearman.com/

Myrna Pearman (born January 14, 1956) is a Canadian naturalist and author.

Pearman has been called “Central Alberta’s beloved naturalist,[1]”; she's a global expert in bluebirds and the migration of Purple Martins.

Pearman is best known for her Canadian best-selling book, Backyard Bird Feeding: An Alberta Guide,[2] and her nature writings and photography.[3] Some of her photos are seen in Stanford Earth Matters magazine[4] and CBC News.[5]

She’s also known for her 33-year career as the leading biologist at the Ellis Bird Farm.[6][7][8]

Early years[edit]

Myrna Pearman was born on January 14, 1956 in Rimbey, Alberta, to Philip Pearman (July 9, 1919- November 7, 1980) and Norma Kendrew (April 29, 1924 - March 24, 1981).[9]

Pearman’s love of nature and birding was inspired as a young child by a close family friend, Fred Schutz[10] (October 14, 1920 – March 27, 2019[11]). Schutz was an author, naturalist, and self-taught scholar and shared his knowledge and love of nature with Pearman.[10] Schutz's influence on Pearman was formative. Years later, she dedicated her book Beauty Everywhere to Schutz.

Education[edit]

Pearman attended Rimbey High School from 1962 to 1974.  After high school graduation, she attended Red Deer College (in 1975) and graduated from the University of Alberta[10] in 1979 with a B.Sc.[3]

Work[edit]

Ellis Bird Farm[edit]

Pearman was the Biologist and Site Services Manager at Ellis Bird Farm[12][13](1987 to 2020); she oversaw the development of the site into a popular and respected research and education centre.[10]

Pearman’s professional contributions at Ellis Bird Farm include:

  • Mountain Bluebird research,
  • Purple Martin research, and
  • Naturescaping.

Pearman was instrumental in the installation of Alberta's first Motus tower to track long-distance bird migration.[14][15][8] This is used in Mountain Bluebird research, Purple Martin research,[16] and the study of other migrating birds.

  • Mountain Bluebird

    Mountain Bluebird

  • Purple Martin

    Purple Martin

Mountain Bluebird research[edit]

Mountain bluebird projects Pearman has been associated with at Ellis Bird Farm include:

  • Banding (e.g., a color banding program[17]),
  • Tracking the nest feeding rates of adult Mountain Bluebirds using RFID technology.[18][16]
  • Tracking Mountain Bluebird migration using light-level geolocators.[19][18]
  • Compiling a database of Mountain Bluebird spring arrival dates and productivity.[20]

Purple Martin research[edit]

Pearman established a purple martin colony,[8][21] and worked with others to conduct Purple Martin migration research.[22]

The hero of this Purple Martin research was a bird named Amelia. Amelia was one of several Purple Martins tagged with light-level geolocators and GPS trackers.  Remarkably, Amelia traveled over 20,000 km on her annual journey.[23] She returned to Ellis Bird Farm from the Amazon delta in 12 days, traveling an average of 600 km per day.[24] This research resulted in the first-ever return of a Purple Martin in Alberta (the northern edge of their range[24]) bearing a geolocator. The data downloaded from Amelia’s geolocator provided previously unknown details about the migration and overwintering habits of Alberta’s Purple Martins.[16]

Naturescaping[edit]

The Ellis Bird Farm was transformed into a demonstration of a Naturescape.[25] This biodiversity project followed principles established in Pearman's book, NatureScape Alberta: Creating and Caring for Wildlife Habitat at Home,[26] and thrives without pesticide use.[12]

Personal life[edit]

Pearman is occasionally a guest speaker[27][28][29][30] on the topics of birds and wildlife.

Authorship[edit]

Pearman has written for major publications such as Canadian Geographic[31][1] (e.g., Embracing winter through birding [32]). She has also written for niche and local publications (e.g., The Bluebird,[1] Todayville,[6] The Gardener magazine[33][1]).

Pearman is a regular columnist for Nature Alberta,[34][35][36][37][38][1] and The Red Deer Advocate.[39][40][41][42][43][44][45][46][47][48][49][50][51][52][53][54][55][56][1]

She edits for the Red Deer River Naturalists.[57][1]

Recognition[edit]

Honours and awards[edit]

Pearman has received honours for her environmental work. She was named an honorary Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society in 2019.[58][59][1]

Her other honours include:

  • 2016: Popular Publication Award (Backyard Bird Feeding: An Alberta Guide)[60] from the Alberta Chapter of the Wildlife Society.
  • 2016: Lifetime Achievement Award: North American Bluebird Society[61]

Media[edit]

Pearman has a media presence. She has been featured in news outlets, co-authored scientific publications, published books, and appeared on broadcasts (including podcasts).

News outlets[edit]

Pearman has been featured on:

  • National news outlets (e.g., CBC[62][63][5][64])
  • Urban news outlets (e.g., Calgary Herald,[65] Sylvan Lake News[10] and Airdrie Today[66])
  • Local news outlets (e.g., Todayville,[1][59] Lacombe Express[67])

Scientific publications[edit]

Pearman has coordinated research and monitoring initiatives with other researchers.

She has co-authored the following scientific papers:

  • 2016. K. C. Fraser, A. Shave, A. Savage, A. Ritchie, K. Bell, J. Siegrist, J. D. Ray, K. Applegate and M. Pearman. Determining fine-scale migratory connectivity and habitat selection for a migratory songbird by using new GPS technology.[68] Journal of Avian Biology 48: 001–007, 2017
  • 2019. Alisha Ritchie and Myrna Pearman. Radio Tracking Mountain Bluebirds Visiting Neighbors’ Nests.[69]  Western Birds.  Vol. 50, No. 2. June 2019
  • 2020. Myrna Pearman, Leo de Groot, Geoffrey L. Holroyd and Stephanie Thurnberg.  Earlier Spring Arrival of the Mountain Bluebird in Central Alberta, Canada.[70] Western Birds. Vol. 51, No. 1

Books[edit]

Pearman has authored or co-authored the following books:

  • 1991. Winter Bird Feeding: An Alberta Guide.[71] Ellis Bird Farm Ltd. (This book is said to have sold thousands of copies[72])
  • 1992. Nestboxes for Prairie Birds.[73] Ellis Bird Farm Ltd.
  • 2000. Myrna Pearman and Ted Pike. NatureScape Alberta: Creating and Caring for Wildlife Habitat at Home.[26] Red Deer River Naturalists and Nature Alberta
  • 2002. Mountain Bluebird Trail Monitoring Guide.[74] Red Deer River Naturalists and Mountain Bluebird Trails Conservation Society
  • 2015. Backyard Bird Feeding: An Alberta Guide.[2] Ellis Bird Farm (This book was written in support of Ellis Bird Farm [67])
  • 2016. Beauty Everywhere: Nature Photo Essays[75] by Myrna Pearman. Self-published
  • 2019. Charlie, Winnie and the Bluebirds: The Story of Ellis Bird Farm.[76] Ellis Bird Farm Ltd.
  • 2021. Trevor Herriot and Myrna Pearman. Backyard Bird Feeding: A Saskatchewan Guide.[77] Nature Saskatchewan

Notable books[edit]

Backyard Bird Feeding: An Alberta Guide[2] received some coverage in CBC News.

"Backyard Bird Feeding goes far beyond simple feeding notes, [Brian Keating] said, and is full of fascinating bits of biological trivia."[78]

Broadcasts[edit]

Pearman has appeared on CBC radio and podcasts.

  • 2021. CBC Radio, Birdline with Trevor Herriot and Myrna Pearman[62]
  • 2021. Let's Talk Gardening Podcast,[79] a broadcast associated with Global News.

External links[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 Rolheiser, Duane (2019-12-03). "Video profile of Central Alberta's beloved naturalist Myrna Pearman". Todayville Edmonton. Retrieved 2021-11-19.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 author., Pearman, Myrna, 1956- (September 2015). Backyard bird feeding : an Alberta guide : a complete guide to year-round bird feeding in Alberta. ISBN 978-0-9694221-2-9. OCLC 922834231. Search this book on
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Myrna Pearman to be part of Rimbey Cultural Days". Rimbey Review. 2019-09-16. Retrieved 2021-11-19.
  4. ↑ UsePrivacyCopyrightTrademarksNon-DiscriminationAccessibility, Terms of (2018-11-26). "Drying Canadian wetland drives muskrat decline". Stanford Earth. Retrieved 2021-11-19.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Fieber, Pamela (Mar 30, 2021). "Spotting 3 species of chickadee marks rare 'triple crown' day". CBC News. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Pearman, Myrna (2020-01-23). "Natural Beauty by Myrna Pearman". Todayville. Retrieved 2021-11-19.
  7. ↑ "Ellis Bird Farm manager retires after three decades". Red Deer Advocate. 2020-10-31. Retrieved 2021-11-20.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Davidson, Jordan. "Myrna Pearman retires from Ellis Bird Farm, leaving an incredible 33-year legacy in her wake". LacombeOnline.com. Retrieved 2021-11-19.
  9. ↑ "Clipped From Red Deer Advocate". Red Deer Advocate. 1981-03-27. p. 12. Retrieved 2021-11-19.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 "Central Alberta author Myrna Pearman pens new book". Sylvan Lake News. 2016-12-01. Retrieved 2021-11-19.
  11. ↑ Obituaries (2019-03-27). "Frederick George "Fred" Schutz Obituary". Rimbey Review. Retrieved 2021-11-22.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 "WATCH: Ellis Bird Farm open for summer". Red Deer Advocate. 2018-05-21. Retrieved 2021-11-19.
  13. ↑ "WATCH: Bluebird Festival marks mid-point of Ellis Bird Farm's season". Red Deer Advocate. 2018-07-14. Retrieved 2021-11-19.
  14. ↑ "Ellis Bird Farm gets province's first avian migration monitoring station". Red Deer Advocate. 2020-09-24. Retrieved 2021-11-19.
  15. ↑ "Motus Tower at EBF". Ellis Bird Farm. Retrieved 2021-11-19.
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 StaderArt (2016-08-05). "Ellis Bird Farm: Make Your Next Birding Trip A SURE THING!". StaderArt Birds. Retrieved 2021-11-19.
  17. ↑ Western Canada Bird Banding Conference (PDF). Edmonton: Beaverhill Bird Observatory. 2019. Search this book on
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 Stewart, Kate (2020-04-12). "Spatial Visualization of Migration of Mountain Blue Birds". ArcGIS StoryMaps. Retrieved 2021-11-19.
  19. ↑ "Purple martins carrying geolocators due back". Rimbey Review. 2013-04-23. Retrieved 2021-11-19.
  20. ↑ Pearman, Myrna; De Groot, Leo; Holroyd, Geoffrey L.; Thunberg, Stephanie (2020). "Earlier Spring Arrival of the Mountain Bluebird in Central Alberta, Canada". ResearchGate. 51: 47–58. doi:10.21199/WB51.1.4. Unknown parameter |s2cid= ignored (help)
  21. ↑ "Tourism Talk Tuesday with Ellis Bird Farm". Visit Red Deer. 2021-06-22. Retrieved 2021-11-20.
  22. ↑ Fournier, Auriel M. V.; Shave, Amanda; Fischer, Jason; Siegrist, Joe; Ray, James; Cheskey, Edward; MacIntosh, Megan; Ritchie, Alisha; Pearman, Myrna; Applegate, Kelly; Fraser, Kevin (September 2019). "Precise direct tracking and remote sensing reveal the use of forest islands as roost sites by Purple Martins during migration". Journal of Field Ornithology. 90 (3): 258–265. doi:10.1111/jofo.12298. ISSN 0273-8570. Unknown parameter |s2cid= ignored (help)
  23. ↑ "Purple martins share secrets". Red Deer Advocate. 2013-06-04. Retrieved 2021-11-19.
  24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 News (2013-07-10). "International bird researcher visits Ellis Bird Farm". Red Deer Express. Retrieved 2021-11-19.
  25. ↑ "Ellis Bird Farm". Lacombe Regional Tourism. Retrieved 2021-11-20.
  26. ↑ 26.0 26.1 1956-, Pearman, Myrna (2001). NatureScape Alberta : creating and caring for wildlife habitat at home. Red Deer River Naturalists. OCLC 48118090. Search this book on
  27. ↑ "Community Events". LacombeOnline.com. Retrieved 2021-11-20.
  28. ↑ "Central Alberta naturalist to speak about nurturing nature". Red Deer Advocate. 2021-11-10. Retrieved 2021-11-20.
  29. ↑ Staff, rdnewsNOW. "Red Deer River Naturalists hosting Zoom event with Myrna Pearman". rdnewsnow.com. Retrieved 2021-11-19.
  30. ↑ "Special guests to attend Words West of the 5th Culture Days celebration". Rimbey Review. 2019-09-24. Retrieved 2021-11-19.
  31. ↑ haggert (2021-02-17). "Myrna Pearman". Canadian Geographic. Retrieved 2021-11-19.
  32. ↑ haggert (2021-02-17). "Embracing winter through birding". Canadian Geographic. Retrieved 2021-11-19.
  33. ↑ Review, E. C. A. "Birds, A Way Of Life For Author – ECA Review". ecareview.com. Retrieved 2021-11-20.
  34. ↑ "Bohemian Waxwings – Nature Alberta". Retrieved 2021-11-20.
  35. ↑ "Rabbits and Hares – Nature Alberta". Retrieved 2021-11-20.
  36. ↑ "Bat House Monitoring at Ellis Bird Farm – Nature Alberta". Retrieved 2021-11-20.
  37. ↑ "Eastern Kingbirds – Nature Alberta". Retrieved 2021-11-20.
  38. ↑ "Spotting Spotted Sandpipers – Nature Alberta". Retrieved 2021-11-20.
  39. ↑ "Eurasian collared-doves aplenty in North America". Red Deer Advocate. 2017-01-18. Retrieved 2021-11-19.
  40. ↑ Life (2017-10-27). "Encounters with muskrats interesting and poignant". Red Deer Advocate. Retrieved 2021-11-19.
  41. ↑ Community (2019-01-24). "Nuthatches cleverly hide excess food". Red Deer Advocate. Retrieved 2021-11-19.
  42. ↑ Life (2017-09-20). "American bittern elusive but so worth the wait". Red Deer Advocate. Retrieved 2021-11-19.
  43. ↑ Community (2018-01-17). "Awe-inspiring Northern flying squirrels". Red Deer Advocate. Retrieved 2021-11-19.
  44. ↑ Community (2017-11-15). "American Kestrels: Colourful, migrant birds found in Alberta usually in Spring". Red Deer Advocate. Retrieved 2021-11-19.
  45. ↑ Community (2017-12-20). "Birds etc.: Mountain ash berries a delight for feathered friends". Red Deer Advocate. Retrieved 2021-11-19.
  46. ↑ "Ospreys proficient at nabbing fish". Red Deer Advocate. 2019-08-31. Retrieved 2021-11-19.
  47. ↑ "Central Alberta bats could be threatened by spread of deadly virus". Red Deer Advocate. 2017-03-13. Retrieved 2021-11-19.
  48. ↑ "These birds have something to sing about". Red Deer Advocate. 2019-05-25. Retrieved 2021-11-19.
  49. ↑ Community (2020-01-24). "Pearman: Bohemian Waxwings the consummate nomads". Red Deer Advocate. Retrieved 2021-11-19.
  50. ↑ Community (2020-08-21). "Eastern Kingbirds are common songbirds in Prairies". Red Deer Advocate. Retrieved 2021-11-19.
  51. ↑ "Central Alberta motorists: Watch out for porcupines — and other wildlife on the move". Red Deer Advocate. 2018-10-23. Retrieved 2021-11-19.
  52. ↑ Community (2021-04-17). "Pearman: Muskrats numbers rebounding in central Alberta". Red Deer Advocate. Retrieved 2021-11-19.
  53. ↑ News (2020-07-18). "Myrna Pearman: Purple finch's visit is a welcome sight". Red Deer Advocate. Retrieved 2021-11-19.
  54. ↑ Community (2020-06-19). "Myrna Pearman: Baby owl's antics attract appreciative audience". Red Deer Advocate. Retrieved 2021-11-19.
  55. ↑ Community (2020-12-26). "Myrna Pearman: Lone coyote in Sylvan Lake neighbourhood". Red Deer Advocate. Retrieved 2021-11-19.
  56. ↑ Community (2021-07-24). "Myrna Pearman: Spotted sandpipers at Sylvan Lake". Red Deer Advocate. Retrieved 2021-11-19.
  57. ↑ Farmer, Alexandria (2015). Wild About Bees (PDF). RDRN. Search this book on
  58. ↑ "Royal Canadian Geographical Society recognizes central Albertans". Red Deer Advocate. 2019-11-27. Retrieved 2021-11-20.
  59. ↑ 59.0 59.1 Rolheiser, Duane (2019-11-25). "Myrna Pearman and Morris Flewwelling honoured by the Royal Canadian Geographical Society". Todayville. Retrieved 2021-11-19.
  60. ↑ "Myrna presented with award! - March 5th, 2016". Ellis Bird Farm. Retrieved 2021-11-19.
  61. ↑ County News. Lacombe County Council. 2016. p. 16. Search this book on
  62. ↑ 62.0 62.1 Materie, Garth (May 20, 2021). "Birdline with Trevor Herriot and Myrna Pearman". CBC Listen. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  63. ↑ Bell, David (Mar 29, 2017). "Alberta grey jay web cam may be a first, thrilling online fans". CBC News. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  64. ↑ Rieger, Sarah (December 29, 2017). "How birds stay warm through Canada's cold winters". CBC News. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  65. ↑ "A new generation finds the bluebird of happiness". calgaryherald. Retrieved 2021-11-19.
  66. ↑ "Beyond Local: Let a chickadee cheer you up this winter!". AirdrieToday.com. Retrieved 2021-11-19.
  67. ↑ 67.0 67.1 "Myrna Pearman pens new book in support of the Ellis Bird Farm". Lacombe Express. 2015-12-03. Retrieved 2021-11-20.
  68. ↑ Fraser, K. C.; Shave, A.; Savage, A.; Ritchie, A.; Bell, K.; Siegrist, J.; Ray, J. D.; Applegate, K.; Pearman, M. (2017-01-23). "Determining fine-scale migratory connectivity and habitat selection for a migratory songbird by using new GPS technology". Journal of Avian Biology. 48 (3): 339–345. doi:10.1111/jav.01091. ISSN 0908-8857.
  69. ↑ Ritchie, Alisha; Pearman, Myrna (2019-06-03). "Radio Tracking Mountain Bluebirds Visiting Neighbors' Nests". Western Birds. 50 (2): 92–97. doi:10.21199/wb50.2.3. ISSN 0045-3897. Unknown parameter |s2cid= ignored (help)
  70. ↑ Pearman, Myrna; de Groot, Leo; Holroyd, Geoffrey L.; Thunberg, Stephanie (2020-02-29). "Earlier Spring Arrival of the Mountain Bluebird in Central Alberta, Canada". Western Birds. 51 (1): 47–58. doi:10.21199/wb51.1.4. ISSN 0045-3897. Unknown parameter |s2cid= ignored (help)
  71. ↑ 1956-, Pearman, Myrna (1989). Winter bird feeding : an Alberta guide. Ellis Bird Farm. ISBN 0-9694221-0-5. OCLC 20630810. Search this book on
  72. ↑ "'Odd and unusual' images sought for updated Alberta bird book". The Western Producer. 2015-01-16. Retrieved 2021-11-19.
  73. ↑ 1956-, Pearman, Myrna (1992). Nestboxes for Prairie birds. Ellis Bird Farm. ISBN 0-9694221-1-3. OCLC 25202195. Search this book on
  74. ↑ 1956-, Pearman, Myrna (2002). Mountain bluebird trail monitoring guide. Red Deer River Naturalists. ISBN 0-9685765-2-4. OCLC 49352724. Search this book on
  75. ↑ photographer., Pearman, Myrna, 1956- author (November 2016). Beauty everywhere : nature photo essays by Myrna Pearman. ISBN 978-0-9953355-0-9. OCLC 960987584. Search this book on
  76. ↑ author., Pearman, Myrna, 1956- (2019). Charlie, Winnie & the bluebirds : the story of Ellis Bird Farm. ISBN 978-0-9694221-3-6. OCLC 1089693094. Search this book on
  77. ↑ author., Herriot, Trevor. Backyard bird feeding : a Saskatchewan guide : a complete guide to year-round bird feeding in Saskatchewan. ISBN 978-0-921104-35-3. OCLC 1241707791. Search this book on
  78. ↑ Radio Active. "Brian Keating reviews 'Backyard Bird Feeding: An Alberta Guide'". CBC News. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  79. ↑ podcasters, Omny Studio is the complete audio management solution for; Stations, Radio. "Let's Talk Gardening Podcast - 2021-10-24 - Let's Talk Gardening - Omny.fm". omny.fm. Retrieved 2021-11-19.



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