The Monadnock Summer Lyceum has been a tradition in Peterborough since 1829, specializing in providing distinguished individuals a platform to engage in conversations related to current and pressing subjects.

On Sunday, June 25, community members gathered at the Peterborough Unitarian Universalist Church for the opening of this year’s series, featuring special guest speaker Jack Davis. 

Davis is a history professor at the University of Florida best known for being a Pulitzer Prize-winning author of 10 books. His most recent book, “The Bald Eagle: The Improbable Journey of America’s Bird,” explores the distinctive role of the bald eagle in the natural world and its profound significance as a national emblem.

During his speech, Davis said bald eagles used to be hard to come across in the 1960s due to their dwindling population size. 

“Bald eagles were a rare sighting when we were coming of age. One reason why I wrote the book is because we are starting to see them more often than we did 10, 15, 20 years ago,” said Davis. According to the American Eagle Foundation, the bald eagle population was on the verge of extinction, plummeting to a record low of only 417 documented nesting pairs in the lower 48 states by 1963.

Despite the dwindling population of the bald eagle, Davis said it’s important to recognize the species’ ongoing revival and its symbolism in American culture. 

“Unfortunately, environmental writers often have a habit of falling into this rabbit hole of tragedy and doom. While there’s much tragedy in the bald eagle and its relationship with the American people, there’s also restoration and redemption. It’s an uplifting success story,” said Davis.

According to the most-recent 2020 report from the United States Fish and Game Service, the bald eagle population has soared to over 316,000, demonstrating a significant recovery of the population from its previous endangered status.

After Davis’s speech, Chair of the Lyceum Committee Bob Haring-Smith said the 2023 lyceum series opening was a success, but this is just the beginning of a summer jam-packed with new speakers and new stories to tell.  

“It was a great opening,” said Haring-Smith. “[Davis] had a great topic and great credentials.”

On Sunday, July 2, the Monadnock Summer Lyceum will welcome graphic novelist James Sturm to the stage. Sturm is the co-founder of the Center for Cartoon Studies in Vermont, and he will dive into applied cartooning and how it relates to civic engagement and public health. Doors to the Peterborough Unitarian Universalist Church will be open at 10:30 a.m.