March 4 – April 22, 2010

Exhibit Opening Thursday, March 4     5:30pm - 7:00pm

Participating in "social networks" is one of today's popular trends, but social networks have been around for a long time in different forms.  Like today, they have been used to build awareness of current issues and motivate social action.  A Bird's-Eye View: Citizen Science and Social Networks View the achievements of several remarkable citizen scientists, past and present, who have effectively used social networking to advance the work of the Connecticut Audubon Society.  Mabel Osgood Wright, a resident of Fairfield in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, was a skilled "social connector," photographer, author, and activist who was instrumental in securing the Birdcraft wildlife sanctuary and founding the CAS in 1914 through her many contacts in the community.   Today teams of volunteer citizen scientists and the staff at CAS centers throughout the state conduct research, incorporating popular social networking technology to support their initiatives.  The exhibition, which includes artifacts and documents from the CAS and Fairfield Museum collections as well as other lenders, will explore the evolving work of the CAS, beginning with Wright's history of marshaling community resources, and extending to today's current projects, research tools, and social networks.  The exhibition, guest curated by William Frank Mitchell of the CAS .