Chico, George, the Birds, and Me: The Mexican Travelogue of a Woman Naturalist, 1948-1949 (Louise Lindsey Merrick Natural Environment Series)

When a mysterious manila envelope reached the hands of Henry “Milt” Reeves, no one could have anticipated the story that waited inside. Enclosed he found a manuscript written half a century earlier and yellowed with age. Each fragile page unfolded the first-person story of a trip Dorothy Chapman Saunders had taken to Mexico in 1948 and 1949 with her husband and seasoned ornithologist, George, to conduct field surveys of waterfowl and white-winged doves for the U.S. government.

In Chico, George, the Birds, and Me, Saunders adeptly describes the birds they saw and the survey work they did. She also charts the other details of their journey as they traveled in a jeep they dubbed “Chico.” A gifted naturalist, Saunders offers an engaging, lively account that reflects her education, experiences, and many capabilities as a traveler, newspaper reporter, journalist, marksman, pilot, and scientist. Her observations will give new insight to those interested in natural history, ornithology, adventure, travel in Mexico, and women in science.