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WBM september 2020
DICTATOR
or president,
the club
thrived
under Appleberry’s leadership
and went on to gain national recognition. In
1950, club members and college volunteers
set out to compile an accurate bird species
count for the region. The species count
was as low as 68 when Mrs. A took charge.
However, her bird-watching militia spotted
184 species.
She was elected president of the North
Carolina Bird Club in 1958, 16 years after
Empie first passed the torch to her.
For the rest of her life she advocated for
the protection of all wildlife, especially the
rare birds and carnivorous plants that are
native to the region. She emphasized the
importance of young people and helped
many students find their life’s calling.
Mrs. A’s life is a testament to the power
of curiosity and her legacy teaches us an
important lesson: if you find a pretty worm
you should pick it up, even if it turns out to
be a snake.
Top: Edna Appleberry describes December 1,
1954 to March 31, 1955 as a “bad period” for
the Wilmington area, citing multiple natural
disasters and the draining of Greenfield Lake.
Left: Scene Magazine, a local publication
covering the Cape Fear area, featured
Appleberry in its May 1977 cover story.
<Multiple intersecting links>
UNCW RANDALL LIBRARY SPECIAL COLLECTIONS
SCENE MAGAZINE, MAY 1977, PHOTO BY ZALESKY/CLEMMER/COURTESY CAPE FEAR MUSEUM OF HISTORY AND SCIENCE