Paul Egeland became interested in birds at a young age while watching them at his bird feeder and in the prairies and ponds near his rural Cottonwood, MN home. The local Presbyterian minister wrote a column in the community newspaper each week about native birds and what he was seeing. He inspired Paul to look for the same birds. An Audubon bird book helped Paul with bird identification. Paul has been active in birding and environmental issues ever since. Receiving an MBA from the University of Minnesota, his career was in reinsurance, but he found time to serve on the Boards of the Sierra Club’s North Star Chapter, Minnesota Ornithologists’ Union, and the Minnesota Land Trust. He has also been active in The Nature Conservancy and remains an enthusiastic birder.

Favorite birds: shorebirds and prairie birds