Our Story

Manomet’s Legacy of Looking Forward

From its early times as a bird observatory to the present day, Manomet has been a center of discovery and innovation. Today that spirit couldn’t be stronger as Manomet steps out as a leader and pioneer to help solve some of society’s most complex challenges in sustainability. Manomet was founded in 1969 as one of the first bird observatories in North America, making a commitment to the long-term study of birds and emphasizing their role as environmental indicators. While remaining committed to bird studies, Manomet broadened its mission, name, and programs in the mid-’90s to conservation sciences. Since then Manomet has brought together communities and stakeholders in a safe forum to find solutions to complex environmental issues using science as a common currency for joint problem solving. This untraditional, non-advocacy approach to conservation has led to remarkable results.

“As society addresses the complex challenge of building sustainable systems for all life, Manomet’s science-based, collaborative approach will find many more applications.”

Linda Leddy, Manomet president from 1984 to 2008

“Manomet’s evolution from a bird observatory to a scientifically-based, solutions-oriented organization compelled us to not only identify key ecological questions, but to look ahead and understand the social issues surrounding them. We saw that ecological findings and understanding were often marginalized in the design and application of public policy," says Linda Leddy, Manomet president from 1984 to 2008. "Working with a broad suite of stakeholders helped us identify key scientific gaps and resulted in innovative solutions that neither science nor policy alone would have created, such as designating economic and ecological zones in Southern California, reducing bycatch in New England fisheries, and adopting revised protocols for energy facilities in New York Harbor. As society addresses the complex challenge of building sustainable systems for all life, Manomet’s science-based, collaborative approach will find many more applications.”

Since 1969 when Manomet began under the nurturing watch of founding Executive Director Kathleen (Betty) Anderson to its 40th birthday in 2009, Manomet has attracted gifted individuals who contributed at every level of the organization. They include scientists whose extraordinary commitment and approach have earned Manomet its trusted reputation; trustees who continue to guide Manomet’s leadership in science-based sustainability; foundations and funders that witness the effectiveness of Manomet’s mission and results; generous supporters who fuel the engine of discovery; and partners and collaborators who work across diverse disciplines and sometimes unlikely settings, from New England farming communities to shorebird sites in South America.

“I had no idea what to expect. I think I envisioned an academic setting, with labs and classrooms. Boy, was I surprised!”

Peter Stangel, Former Manomet intern

Since Manomet’s early days, people’s lives have been shaped through their experience with the organization. Students, interns, and young scientists who passed through its doors view Manomet as a pivotal point in their careers. Many recall a learning experience that was clearly outside the box. “My internship at the then Manomet Bird Observatory was like a Little Leaguer being invited to Fenway Park to work out with the Red Sox,” recalls former Manomet intern Peter Stangel, now Director of Science and Evaluation for the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. “I’d been an avid birder and had always planned to become an ornithologist, but the Manomet internship was my first professional experience. I arrived in early September, just as migration season was kicking off. I had no idea what to expect. I think I envisioned an academic setting, with labs and classrooms. Boy, was I surprised! Chris Rimmer, leader of the intern crew, didn’t put on shoes (or a shirt!) until well into the fall. My fellow interns and I ate, slept, and worked birds. We were up at dawn to run net lanes and fell asleep studying books on molt sequences. I cut my teeth on research projects, testing Brian’s and Trevor’s patience with rookie questions and mistakes. I surveyed seabirds on George’s Bank, did aerial surveys for Red Knots in Florida, and learned how to make my own granola. The interns cooperated, and competed, on every aspect of ornithology and natural history that Manomet had to offer. Let me know when you start an intern program for adults. I’d be back in a flash!”

“Manomet owes its success to the special vision and work of so many who, in these past four decades, brought enormous support and dedication to bear on achieving our mission.”

Paddy Wade, Chair of Manomet’s Board of Trustees

Stangel, acclaimed ornithologist David Sibley, Conservation Fund CEO and President Larry Selzer, and many other interns are a testimony to Manomet’s legacy as a place where discovery and inspiration have a far-reaching effect. That spirit endures today in all of Manomet’s initiatives and projects. “Manomet owes its success to the special vision and work of so many who, in these past four decades, brought enormous support and dedication to bear on achieving our mission. The journey has been remarkable and there is great promise in Manomet’s exciting new phase,” says Paddy Wade, Chair of Manomet’s Board of Trustees. “At a time when it’s easy to be overwhelmed by the size of the problems facing our planet, Manomet is the best antidote to paralysis that I’ve found. The organization started small and local, but had the long-term vision to see how very limited resources could be made widely effective,” observes Manomet Councillor Louise Conant. “Its combination of front-line science and deep respect for human needs has helped people to learn, understand, and change their practices. And far beyond the specific areas where Manomet has worked, it has provided a model for forming alliances where there had once been only conflict. All of us who start by caring about birds, and have learned through Manomet to see them in a much bigger context, can look to Manomet as a way to cure ourselves of hopelessness and find the energy to take Manomet’s wisdom into the wider world.”

Spanning the Years with Science for Sustainability

A Manomet Milestone Timeline

Manomet celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2009. This timeline captures the remarkable evolution of Manomet as a bird observatory into a nationally-recognized institution whose mission, name and programs focus on building science-based solutions to environmental problems.