The Cruickshanks

• 1907- Born St. Thomas, Virgin Islands August 29, 1907.
• 1909- Moved to New York.
• 1910
• 1911
• 1912
• 1913
• 1914
• 1915
• 1916
• 1917
• 1918
• 1919
• 1920
• 1921- In 1921 he took part in his first Christmas Bird count.
• 1922- At fourteen he discovered the first Brown Creeper nest in the state of New York, and his published account of this attracted of Sir Julian Huxley, who was then studying the species of Certhia. The ensuing correspondence with this great scientist surely encouraged the young boy’s interest. That same spring he established another first for New York; a King Rail nest in Van Cortlandt Park.
• 1923
• 1924
• 1925
• 1926
• 1927
• 1928
• 1929-Attended Evander Childs High School Bronx, N.Y. 
• 1930
• 1931- He graduated from the Heights of New York University in 1931. June 1, 1931. Allan was contacted by Fox Film Corporation Studios, Joseph J Holton, with the interest in signing Allan to a film career.

• 1932
• 1933
• 1934
• 1935
• 1936- Worked as an instructor at the first National Audubon Society adult summer conservation workshop in 1936.
• 1937- Married Helen Gere. He became a full-time member on the staff of the Society and remained so until his retirement in 1972.
• 1938-
• 1939-
• 1940
• 1941-
• 1942- BIRDS AROUND NEW YORK CITY was published.
• 1943
• 1944
• 1945
• 1946-
• 1947- Wings in the Wilderness was published
  
• 1948-
• 1949- Summer Birds of Lincoln County, Maine was published
• 1950
• 1951
• 1952
• 1953-Pocket Guide to the Birds was published
  
• 1954
• 1955
• 1956
• 1957-Hunting With the Camera was published
  
• 1958-1001 Questions Answered About Birds was published
• 1959
• 1960
• 1961
• 1962
• 1963- Through his vision, enthusiasm, determination and influence, NASA and the US Fish and Wildlife Service reached an agreement in 1963 which created the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge.
• 1964-Produced River of the Crying Bird film for National Audubon Society
  
• 1965
• 1966
• 1967
• 1968- Produced Land of the Giant Cactus film for the National Audubon Society
  
• 1969
• 1970
• 1971
• 1972- Retired from the National Audubon Society. In 1972 he became the sixth man (and the fourth American) to receive the prestigious Arthur A. Allen Award from Cornell University.
• 1973
• 1974- October 11, 1974 passed away.

Allan D Cruickshank

Nicknamed Cruickie

Allan D. Cruikshank 1907 - 1974

From Birds of Brevard County

Born on St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, on August 29, 1907, Allan, with his inimitable humor, always referred to his birthplace as the most improbable place on earth to be born. It happened that his father, from Tarvis, Scotland, was an electrical engineer who left his position as a college instructor to make that island his headquarters with his family while in charge of laying a section of the Trans-Atlantic cable from England to South America.

Two years later Allan was brought to the United States when ill health made it necessary for his father to leave the tropics. Allan grew up in New York City. Before he was old enough for kindergarten, his interest in birds was aroused when his already sharp eyes found a screech owl perched in a tree near his home and watched it with fascination.

At fourteen he discovered the first brown creeper nest in the state of New York, and his published account of this attracted of Sir Julian Huxley, who was then studying the species of Certhia. The ensuing correspondence with this great scientist surely encouraged the young boy’s interest. That same spring he established another first for New York; a king rail nest in Van Cortlandt Park. Borrowing his father’s camera, he photographed the rail on its nest. The result was the first of many thousands of his remarkably fine wildlife photographs to be published.

In 1921 he took part in his first Christmas Bird count. His interest in this cooperative amateur-scientific survey in the world grew with the years.

His fine character, winning personality, intelligence, quick wit and keen sense of humor helped make him a leader at New York University (The Heights).  He was the vice president of his sophomore class, president of his junior class and, in his senior year, was the president of the student body. Through all four years, he distinguished himself in sports, particularly with the track team and as sports editor of THE VIOLET. At graduation in 1931, in the midst of the great depression, he was voted by his fellow students the best all-around man, the most respected, the handsomest and the senior who had done most for the university.

Two weeks in Wall Street were enough to convince him that the financial world was not for him. Shifting to the American Museum of Natural History, he worked with the Rothschild Collection, the largest assemblage of bird skins in the world. But he liked live birds, not dead ones. When John H. Baker, then president of the National Audubon Society, asked him to join the staff, he accepted with alacrity and remained with that organization for the rest of his professional life. He considered his job the best in the world, for it always varied, as he taught, lectured, led field trips, photographed wildlife with his still and movie cameras and, for seventeen years, edited the Christmas Bird Counts.

With a profound concern for the earth and its resources and a conviction that it must be kept in a healthy condition not only for wildlife, but ultimately for the survival of humanity, he was a powerful activist for sound conservation policies. He never hesitated to take a strong and sometimes unpopular stand against the ravaging of marches, estuaries, forests, and other rich blocks of habitat on which our renewable resources and future welfare our nation depend. He saw that clearly that the continued rapid human population and technological growth made our wise use of this planet earth ever more vital.

He lectured to some 2,900,000 people in about 5,860 lectures with films of his own making and to thousands more in the early days with glass slides made from his own photographs which he colored himself. He was a teacher at the Audubon Camp of Maine, a conservation school for teachers and other leaders, from 1936 to 1958, except for two years during World War II spent with the army Pictorial Service in Europe. He led more than 3,500 field trips on this continent as well as ecology trips in Europe and Africa. His travels back and forth across this continent to give Audubon lectures added up to millions of miles by car to photograph wildlife, especially birds and mammals. His beautiful photographs appeared in innumerable magazines, advertisements, books, and even, to his amusement, in a mathematics text book.

He found time to write several books, the first in 1942 at the request of the American Museum of Natural History: BIRDS AROUND NEW YORK CITY. He was a member of many societies and former president of the Linnaean Society of New York. He won many awards for his photographs and for his work in conservation.

In 1972 he became the sixth man (and the fourth American) to receive the prestigious Arthur A. Allen Award from Cornell University. He was greatly delighted with this honor. At this same time, far less exalted awards also gave him pleasure, as when the Audubon sent him to the Minnesota State Camp for 4-H girls to be their bird leader for a week. It was raining heavily when the camp opened of the very wet week, the girls pronounced it the best camp-out they had ever had - and made Allan the only man to receive a membership in the Minnesota Girls 4-H Club.

Allan, tall and agile, was always the picture of rugged health and boundless energy as he joyfully splashed through marshes, climbed trees and scrambles up rocks and mountains in search of birds and other subjects for study and photography. He liked to wear bright colors. With his red, green, and blue tam-o-shanter cocked at a rackish angle, he said that since birds had the best eyesight in the world, they would see him even if he wore dull, drab clothes.

With never-flagging joie-de-vivre, he was a magnetic leader, and his instruction was clear, forceful, and dramatic. His bird calls were so perfect that he often confused even experienced birders who believed that they were hearing the real thing. THE NEW YORKER once published an amusing account of a group of birders in Central Park who thought they had established an exceptional early record for a rose-breasted grosbeak, only to find out that it was a Cruickshank.

Allan retired in 1972 at the age of sixty-five with enthusiastic plans for the future. He would gather more information about Brevard birds and search out scattered records made in the past. He looked forward to extensive photography of birds and mammals to swell an already huge collection of more than 40,000 negatives that met his exacting standards and add to his growing accumulation of color transparencies.

He continued to lecture for Audubon that winter.  At the same time he decided a book about his nearly fortyened and continued raining all week, the girls finally leaving in a downpour. It was impossible to see birds, but as they tramped through the constant deluge, he opened their eyes to the variety of trees, the interesting plants and the exciting geology of the area. As they dried out indoors, he led them in old-time camp songs and taught them new ones. He told them stories and gave them illustrated talks about birds and other wildlife. At the  years of criss-crossing the continent to give conservation lectures should be fitted in with his other activities and provide a personal account of the time when Audubon activities were arousing the American conscience to the urgent need to protect our vanishing natural resources from ill-considered destruction and waste.  He had encountered many strange crises, so many unexpected happenings, including hilarious introductions that prefaced some of his lectures.  Once a dear little lady who had been a student at the Audubon Camp of Maine told the waiting audience that she had spent two weeks on an island in Maine with Mr. Cruickshank, but this was the first time she had ever seen him dressed!  He also enjoyed dubious pleasure in some cities unaccustomed to presenting lectures; for instance, he arrived to give a lecture in a high school to find the drum corps rehearsing for a football game in a room separated from the auditorium only by a thin, movable screen.  The blast of noise was so great that even Allan’s powerful voice was almost inaudible.  The tales of his experiences when lecturing were wildly funny and inexhaustible in number.  But he did not have time to do all the things his fertile mind suggested would be interesting.

He has left behind many milestones in conservation, in wildlife photography and in the study of birds.  This book of bird records for Brevard County is one of these and hopefully will act as a spring board for much-needed future work.

His motto from early boyhood was DUM VIVIMUS VIVIMAS (While we live let us live).  He lived his motto.  He lived with intensity and with great depth of feeling until October 11, 1974, when handed over the responsibilities he had shouldered to the hands of others.

Allan D. Cruickshank, gifted ornithologist, naturalist, photographer, environmental teacher and leader, played a key role in the establishment of Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. In 1962, when the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) acquired a 220 square mile portion of Merritt Island for the Nation's spaceport, Allan Cruickshank conceived the idea of utilizing the unused land which had been designated a buffer zone as a wildlife refuge- Through his vision, enthusiasm, determination and influence, NASA and the US Fish and Wildlife Service reached an agreement in 1963 which created the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. To pay tribute to this man's unique contribution to the Refuge System, a five mile trail is being dedicated to his memory.

Allan Cruickshank's love for birds as a child matured into dedicated activity aimed at sharing their beauty and worth with others as well as communicating the urgent need for protecting them and their environment. He graduated from the Heights of New York University in 1931 and worked as an instructor at the first National Audubon Society adult summer conservation workshop in 1936. The next year, he became a full-time member on the staff of the Society and remained so -until his retirement in 1972. During that time, he gave almost 6,000 lectures to a combined audience of nearly 3,000,000 people. The superb quality of his films and sense of humor, coupled with an important conservation message, certainly contributed in an important way to the present rise in concern for --the human environment.

As a member of the editorial board of American Birds (formerly Audubon Field Notes), he edited the Christmas Bird Counts for 17 years. He also found time to write "Birds Around New York City," "A Pocket Guide- to Birds," " Hunting with the Camera," "Summer Birds of Lincoln County, Maine," "Wings in the Wilderness," and "1001 Questions Answered About Birds," which he co-authored with his loving wife and constant companion, Helen G. Cruickshank.

Allan Cruickshank was one of the most creative and versatile naturalists of his generation- As a lecturer, writer, teacher, environmental activist and leading staff member of the National Audubon Society, he opened the fascinating world of ornithology to millions of enthusiasts through a variety of media. His most enduring contributions, however, come to us through his photography: more than 40,000 photographs, all of astoundingly high quality. Many have graced the pages of national magazines, newspapers and books; collectively, they represent today's most outstanding pictorial record of North American birds. With his boundless energy and enthusiasm, it is difficult to realize that his life could end in its 67th year.

Courtesy US Fish and Wildlife Service

Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge

Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1963 and today encompasses all areas of the Kennedy Space Center not in operational use. How the refuge was established and the unique relationship it shares with NASA is a tribute to the perseverance and vision of one man: Allan Cruickshank.

When NASA finished acquisition of their land base, they effectively controlled the northern half of Merritt Island which contained 220 square miles of upland, marsh and open water. This unique barrier island had been mostly overlooked by developers because of the vast wetlands and the ever-present mosquito population. But these same wetlands and its location as one of a chain of refuges on the Atlantic flyway made it an outstanding wintering area for migratory birds.

Allan Cruickshank, who lived in nearby Rockledge, was well acquainted with north Merritt Island and visited it often to bird watch and to take wildlife stills and motion pictures. When NASA acquired this area, Mr. Cruickshank saw a silver lining behind a potentially dark cloud. On one hand, government ownership prevented future development, but on the other hand, unless NASA's activities were orchestrated in concert with nature, the delicate balance could be disrupted and the wildlife values lost. The one chance that Mr. Cruickshank saw for preserving these lands was to convince NASA to create a National Wildlife Refuge on the unused portion of their holdings.

This was no small undertaking! For one individual to tackle a fledgling bureaucracy like NASA, which was composed largely of rocket scientists, aerospace engineers and military personnel, and to convince them that their newly-acquired spaceport had values other than a launch base for rockets, was a monumental challenge. This was especially true considering that it was the early 1960's, the US and USSR were in a dead heat in the "race for space," and President Kennedy had committed to landing a man on the moon by the end of the decade. The climate-was not exactly favorable to begin this-personal mission but begin he did! In less than one year his goal was accomplished and NASA, along with the US Fish and Wildlife Service, reached an agreement that created Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge.

This original agreement, in 1963, turned over to the US Fish & Wildlife Service approximately 2500 acres of marshland to be used as a wintering area for migratory birds. Over the years, the agreement had been expanded so that today all wildlands not in operational use by America's Spaceport are managed by the refuge. The mission of the refuge has also expanded over the years. With the passage of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, the refuge became recognized as one of the most important refuges in the system, with 13 endangered or threatened species occurring here. In 1975, the last major change to the management occurred when Congress created Canaveral National Seashore. This action withdrew a portion of the beach and mosquito Lagoon and turned it over to our sister agency, the National Park Service. Today, three federal agencies manage the island. NASA still holds title to all lands with provisions that if needed, it can be returned for their use. The National Park Service administers Canaveral National Seashore, and the US Fish and Wildlife Service manages the bulk of NASA's lands as Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge.

Courtesy of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

The Point Breeze Inn on Hog Island was easily converted to the Audubon Camp and the seasonal operation opened the following summer. Along with Roger Tory Peterson, the other ornithology instructor in 1936 was Allan D. Cruickshank.

While Peterson went about other pursuits by the second summer of camp operations, including establishing his famous field guide series, Allan Cruickshank remained on staff until the early 1970s. The tam-wearing Cruickshank, in fact, became an icon in Camp history. He honed his birding skills as a youth, with Peterson, as a member of the Bronx County Bird Club in New York. “Crukie,” as his friends called him, had an uncanny ability to imitate birds. Such a talent would be popular with campers, as was his heralded headstand on the boat’s cabin roof to alert those waiting back at camp that a new bird for the summer had been sighted on the bay on that very expedition. In Audubon’s employ, he worked as a writer, photographer, and film maker while becoming a popular speaker on the Audubon lecture circuit in the 50s and 60s.

So in the spirit of learning more about the long reach of the Hog Island Audubon Camp, I found myself doing a Google search of Cruickshank on another morning last summer while watching Discovery attempt to launch on NASA TV. Just beside those pre-launch images, in another computer window, I learned that Cruickshank published a handful of books, including The Pocket Guide to Birds, Wings in the Wilderness, and 1001 Questions Answered About Birds. Some of his best photographs, a few hanging throughout the Hog Island camp building complex, were also published, including the images in Bird Islands Down East, written by his wife, Helen.

While all of this was relatively interesting on the day America’s shuttle fleet attempted to return to space, Hog Island syzygy surprised me once again. It turns out that Audubon’s own Allan D. Cruickshank single handedly convinced NASA in 1962 to turn over areas of the Kennedy Space Center not used by the space program to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to incorporate the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. Having used those wetlands for bird watching, film making, and photography, Cruickshank convinced NASA, hot into a space race with the Soviet Union, to preserve the unused spaceport buffer zone ecosystem. By the time the Endangered Species Act of 1973 became law, it was determined that thirteen endangered or threatened species occurred on Merritt Island, now considered one of the most important refuges in the national system. To pay tribute to Cruickshank’s contributions in forming the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, a five mile trail there has been dedicated to his memory.

The Hog Island Audubon Camp, moored mystically “out upon the Bay,” as Dickinson wrote of her metaphorical boat, has proven to be a point of alignment along more than one vector of syzygy. Finding connections to Hog Island tethered in various places, including its mention in Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring, confirms the impact and reach of the program on the island now run by the Maine Audubon Society. The Hog Island Audubon Camp is connected to significant threads in American literature, nature study, ornithology, and now, would you believe, space. Through Emily Dickinson, to Mabel Loomis Todd, to the Hog Island Audubon Camp, through Allan D. Cruickshank, then on to the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, and finally into Earth orbit. Hog Island syzygy, indeed.

Allan Cruickshank

Birds Around New York City. 1942

Wings in the Wilderness. 1947

Summer Birds of Lincoln County, Maine. 1949

Pocket Guide to the Birds. 1953

Pocket Guide to the Birds. 1960 paper back

Hunting With the Camera. 1957

1001 Questions Answered About Birds. 1958, 1976

Birds of America. 1977

Movies

River of the Crying Bird Allan Cruickshank film 1964

Audubon Wildlife Film Series-Allan Cruickshank, Land of the Giant Cactus (1968)