Connecticut U.S. Sen. George P. McLean helped establish lasting legal protections for birds, overseeing passage of the 1918 Migratory Bird Treaty Act, landmark environmental protection legislation that is still in effect.
McLean’s great-great nephew, Will McLean Greeley, will discuss that legislative victory in a free Zoom lecture, “Birdman of the Senate: George P. McLean and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act,” for the New Haven Museum on May 2 at 6 p.m.
Greeley will base his presentation on his book about McLean, who was born in Simsbury in 1857 and died there 75 years later.
Conservationists estimate that the Migratory Bird Treaty Act has saved millions if not billions of birds and likely prevented the extinction of many species. Greeley says the act also ushered in the watchdog role of the federal government over the environment, adding, “Its passage was a victory for bipartisanship in Congress, something most Americans long for today.”
Register for his free talk at https://bit.ly/3vAlaxp. It will also stream on FB Live, and is co-presented with the New Haven Bird Club.
