Author Jennifer Ackerman to lead virtual discussion July 7

Acclaimed science and nature author Jennifer Ackerman, a former Lewes resident, will lead an expanded virtual discussion at 5 p.m., Tuesday, July 7.

Ackerman’s March presentation to cap the inaugural Lewes Loves Books program was canceled due to the pandemic.

Organized by Lewes Public Library and Biblion with the support of 12 local organizations, the inaugural Lewes Loves Books program is part of the American Library Association’s One Book, One Community initiative. The movement, with approximately 150 local groups nationwide, brings people together to read, discuss and explore a single book selected by each community’s organizers.

During the free July 7 program, Ackerman will discuss several of her books, including “Birds by the Shore,” an updated version of her iconic “Notes from the Shore,” which she wrote while living in the local area in the early 1990s.

“Birds by the Shore” was the subject of more than 12 lectures, hikes and other events sponsored by organizations supporting the Lewes Loves Books program since its launch last October.

In addition to “Birds by the Shore” and her earlier book “The Genius of Birds,” Ackerman will share insights from her newest book, “The Bird Way.”

The live discussion will include an opportunity for participants to ask questions. Although the program is free, registration is required for the Zoom-based presentation. To register, go to www.lewes.lib.de.us.

Ackerman has been writing about science and nature for 30 years and is the author of eight books published in more than 20 languages. She is the recipient of numerous awards and fellowships, including a National Endowment for the Arts Literature Fellowship in Nonfiction, a Bunting Institute Fellowship, and a grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. Her writing has been included in several prominent anthologies.

Copies of “Birds by the Shore” and other books by Ackerman may be borrowed from Delaware Public Libraries. “Birds by the Shore” also may be purchased at Biblion in Lewes and Browseabout Books in Rehoboth Beach, with net proceeds funding the Lewes Loves Books program.

In addition to the Lewes Public Library and Biblion, partners in the Lewes Loves Books program include Browseabout Books; Cape Henlopen State Park; the Center for the Inland Bays; the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control; Friends of Prime Hook; the Lewes Chamber of Commerce; the Marine Education, Research & Rehabilitation Institute; Sea Grant Delaware; the Sussex Bird Club; the Sussex County Department of Libraries; the University of Delaware College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment; and the university’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute.