Frances Hamerstrom
Encyclopedia
Frances "Fran" Hamerstrom (December 16, 1908 - August 29, 1998) was an American author, naturalist
and ornithologist known for her work with the greater prairie chicken
in Wisconsin, and for her research on birds of prey. The only female graduate student of ecologist and A Sand County Almanac
author Aldo Leopold, was a prolific writer, publishing over 100 professional papers and 10 books on the prairie chicken, harriers
, eagle
s, and other wildlife topics. Some were translated into German
.
. As a child Hamerstrom developed a fascination with the natural world. Despite her father's complaint that such behavior was "unladylike", she kept wild pets and learned to hunt. To keep her family from uncovering evidence of her wildlife adventures, she planted poison ivy along the path that led to where she kept her wilderness gear. (Hamerstrom was naturally immune to its effects). She married Frederick Hamerstrom in 1931 in secret. The Hamerstroms kept their marriage secret from their parents and were later re-married in a ceremony in Massachusetts.
Hamerstrom and her husband wished to work with wildlife at a time when the modern wildlife management and research profession was in its infancy. After meeting wildlife conservationist and ecologist Aldo Leopold
, the Hamerstroms went to Iowa State University
to study under Paul Errington, where Frederick earned a Master's degree and Fran a Bachelor's degree, working on the topic of predation, the food habits of the great horned owl
. They then moved to Wisconsin
to work at a wildlife refuge
and to attend graduate school under Aldo Leopold, the father of game management. Frederick Hamerstrom was one of only three men awarded a doctorate under Leopold and Frances was the only woman graduate student under Leopold to earn a master's degree. Leopold started the Hamerstroms on a study of the imperiled greater prairie chicken, an endangered species in Wisconsin.
The Hamerstroms' major contribution to research was a result of their lifetime study of the endangered prairie chicken
in a research area that included the Buena Vista and Leola Marshes. The Hamerstroms focused on the habitat needs of the greater prairie chicken and initiated a management plan based on the assumption the prairie chicken required a "checkerboard" pattern of habitat. The Hamerstroms were recognized in 1970 with the National Wildlife Federation
Award for Distinguished Service to Conservation for their innovative management plan and work with the prairie chickens.
The Hamerstroms helped focus public attention on the need for habitat preservation and in 1961 helped form the "Society of Tympanuchus Cupido Pinnatus" (Latin term for prairie grouse) to purchase lands that could be managed for the preservation and restoration of "native prairie grouse populations." The Hamerstroms are credited by naturalists for saving the prairie chicken from extirpation in Wisconsin. An estimated seven thousand wildlife observers (called "boomers") participated in the collection of necessary data for this project, with Frances playing host to all of them at her home.
Press, and documented the relationship of the breeding success of harriers and their cyclical food supply. Frances Hamerstrom was a licensed falconer, studied American kestrels and the use of nest boxes as a management tool for kestrels, and banded thousands of raptors in Wisconsin and in other parts of North America during her many travels, and in 1969 was a contributor to the book Peregrine Falcon Populations: Their Biology and Decline.
In 1992, Frances Hamerstrom received the Notable Wisconsin Authors Award from the Wisconsin Library Association
.
Frances Hamerstrom was also known as a cook, publishing a wild game cookbook near the end of her life. Her secret for pie crusts was the use of bear lard, and her readers occasionally sent her bear lard as a by-product of their own hunting experiences. Wildfoods Cookbook: From the Fields and Forests of the Great Lakes States was published in 1994, when she was 84, and illustrated by her daughter, Elva Hamerstrom.
By training hundreds of research assistants (nicknamed "gabboons") and by writing formal scientific papers and informal books, Hamerstrom and her husband inspired students. The Prairie Grouse Technical Council and the Raptor Research Foundation offer lifetime achievement awards in the name of Fran and Frederick Hamerstrom.
home, that was never completed and lacked indoor plumbing. The Hamerstrom home had been planned as a stage coach stop and had an incomplete ballroom upstairs that served as a storage area for specimens and data collected from their field research over many years. The Hamerstroms raised two children, Alan and Elva, in their home outside Plainfield. Hamerstrom life was far from ordinary, even during the childhood of Alan and Elva, and Fran confided to a friend who visited the house years later that "we had all the luxuries (such as a first-rate ornithological library) and none of the necessities".
, Africa
, and South America
. On an expedition in Peru
, at age 86, Hamerstrom broke her hip and was evacuated by helicopter. Nonetheless she returned to the area the following year to observe hunting practices on a tributary of the Amazon.
In 1996, Frances Hamerstrom and her husband, Frederick Hamerstrom, were inducted into the Wisconsin Conservation Hall of Fame.
Franes Hamerstrom died at a Port Edwards, Wisconsin
, nursing home August 29, 1998.
Natural history
Natural history is the scientific research of plants or animals, leaning more towards observational rather than experimental methods of study, and encompasses more research published in magazines than in academic journals. Grouped among the natural sciences, natural history is the systematic study...
and ornithologist known for her work with the greater prairie chicken
Greater Prairie Chicken
The Greater Prairie Chicken or Pinnated Grouse, Tympanuchus cupido, is a large bird in the grouse family. This North American species was once abundant, but has become extremely rare or extinct over much of its range due to habitat loss. There are current efforts to help this species gain the...
in Wisconsin, and for her research on birds of prey. The only female graduate student of ecologist and A Sand County Almanac
A Sand County Almanac
A Sand County Almanac: And Sketches Here and There is a 1949 non-fiction book by American ecologist, forester, and environmentalist Aldo Leopold. Describing the land around the author's home in Sauk County, Wisconsin, the collection of essays advocate Leopold's idea of a "land ethic", or a...
author Aldo Leopold, was a prolific writer, publishing over 100 professional papers and 10 books on the prairie chicken, harriers
Harrier (bird)
A harrier is any of the several species of diurnal hawks forming the Circinae sub-family of the Accipitridae family of birds of prey. Harriers characteristically hunt by flying low over open ground, feeding on small mammals, reptiles, or birds....
, eagle
Eagle
Eagles are members of the bird family Accipitridae, and belong to several genera which are not necessarily closely related to each other. Most of the more than 60 species occur in Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just two species can be found in the United States and Canada, nine more in...
s, and other wildlife topics. Some were translated into German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
.
Biography
Born in 1907 in Boston, Massachusetts, Frances Flint grew up in a wealthy family, and attended Milton AcademyMilton Academy
Milton Academy is a coeducational, independent preparatory, boarding and day school in Milton, Massachusetts consisting of a grade 9–12 Upper School and a grade K–8 Lower School. Boarding is offered starting in 9th grade...
. As a child Hamerstrom developed a fascination with the natural world. Despite her father's complaint that such behavior was "unladylike", she kept wild pets and learned to hunt. To keep her family from uncovering evidence of her wildlife adventures, she planted poison ivy along the path that led to where she kept her wilderness gear. (Hamerstrom was naturally immune to its effects). She married Frederick Hamerstrom in 1931 in secret. The Hamerstroms kept their marriage secret from their parents and were later re-married in a ceremony in Massachusetts.
Hamerstrom and her husband wished to work with wildlife at a time when the modern wildlife management and research profession was in its infancy. After meeting wildlife conservationist and ecologist Aldo Leopold
Aldo Leopold
Aldo Leopold was an American author, scientist, ecologist, forester, and environmentalist. He was a professor at the University of Wisconsin and is best known for his book A Sand County Almanac , which has sold over two million copies...
, the Hamerstroms went to Iowa State University
Iowa State University
Iowa State University of Science and Technology, more commonly known as Iowa State University , is a public land-grant and space-grant research university located in Ames, Iowa, United States. Iowa State has produced astronauts, scientists, and Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winners, along with a host of...
to study under Paul Errington, where Frederick earned a Master's degree and Fran a Bachelor's degree, working on the topic of predation, the food habits of the great horned owl
Great Horned Owl
The Great Horned Owl, , also known as the Tiger Owl, is a large owl native to the Americas. It is an adaptable bird with a vast range and is the most widely distributed true owl in the Americas.-Description:...
. They then moved to Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
to work at a wildlife refuge
Wildlife refuge
A wildlife refuge, also called a wildlife sanctuary, may be a naturally occurring sanctuary, such as an island, that provides protection for species from hunting, predation or competition, or it may refer to a protected area, a geographic territory within which wildlife is protected...
and to attend graduate school under Aldo Leopold, the father of game management. Frederick Hamerstrom was one of only three men awarded a doctorate under Leopold and Frances was the only woman graduate student under Leopold to earn a master's degree. Leopold started the Hamerstroms on a study of the imperiled greater prairie chicken, an endangered species in Wisconsin.
Research
Prairie Chicken
Prairie Chicken refers to several birds in the genus Tympanuchus:*Greater Prairie Chicken **Attwater's Prairie Chicken **Heath Hen **Tympanuchus cupido pinnatus...
in a research area that included the Buena Vista and Leola Marshes. The Hamerstroms focused on the habitat needs of the greater prairie chicken and initiated a management plan based on the assumption the prairie chicken required a "checkerboard" pattern of habitat. The Hamerstroms were recognized in 1970 with the National Wildlife Federation
National Wildlife Federation
The National Wildlife Federation is the United States' largest private, nonprofit conservation education and advocacy organization, with over four million members and supporters, and 48 state and territorial affiliated organizations...
Award for Distinguished Service to Conservation for their innovative management plan and work with the prairie chickens.
The Hamerstroms helped focus public attention on the need for habitat preservation and in 1961 helped form the "Society of Tympanuchus Cupido Pinnatus" (Latin term for prairie grouse) to purchase lands that could be managed for the preservation and restoration of "native prairie grouse populations." The Hamerstroms are credited by naturalists for saving the prairie chicken from extirpation in Wisconsin. An estimated seven thousand wildlife observers (called "boomers") participated in the collection of necessary data for this project, with Frances playing host to all of them at her home.
The harrier hawk
The Hamerstroms also conducted a decades-long study of the northern harrier, that resulted in Harrier: Hawk of the Marshes, published in 1986 by the Smithsonian InstitutionSmithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
Press, and documented the relationship of the breeding success of harriers and their cyclical food supply. Frances Hamerstrom was a licensed falconer, studied American kestrels and the use of nest boxes as a management tool for kestrels, and banded thousands of raptors in Wisconsin and in other parts of North America during her many travels, and in 1969 was a contributor to the book Peregrine Falcon Populations: Their Biology and Decline.
Wildlife author
As a writer, Frances Hamerstrom's presented researched science for general readers. Among her books are:- An Eagle to the Sky (1970)
- Birds of Prey in Wisconsin (1972)
- Is She Coming Too?: Memoirs of a Lady Hunter (1989)
- Strictly for the Chickens (1980)
- Walk When the Moon is Full (1975)
In 1992, Frances Hamerstrom received the Notable Wisconsin Authors Award from the Wisconsin Library Association
Wisconsin Library Association
The Wisconsin Library Association , is a Wisconsin, United States non-profit,professional membership organization which has existed since 1891 --- more than 100 years of service to the library community and Wisconsin's citizens...
.
Frances Hamerstrom was also known as a cook, publishing a wild game cookbook near the end of her life. Her secret for pie crusts was the use of bear lard, and her readers occasionally sent her bear lard as a by-product of their own hunting experiences. Wildfoods Cookbook: From the Fields and Forests of the Great Lakes States was published in 1994, when she was 84, and illustrated by her daughter, Elva Hamerstrom.
By training hundreds of research assistants (nicknamed "gabboons") and by writing formal scientific papers and informal books, Hamerstrom and her husband inspired students. The Prairie Grouse Technical Council and the Raptor Research Foundation offer lifetime achievement awards in the name of Fran and Frederick Hamerstrom.
Home life
The Hamerstroms lived in a 1850s-era, Plainfield, WisconsinPlainfield, Wisconsin
Plainfield is a village in Waushara County, Wisconsin, United States. A tiny portion extends into adjacent Town of Oasis. The village is located almost entirely within the Town of Plainfield...
home, that was never completed and lacked indoor plumbing. The Hamerstrom home had been planned as a stage coach stop and had an incomplete ballroom upstairs that served as a storage area for specimens and data collected from their field research over many years. The Hamerstroms raised two children, Alan and Elva, in their home outside Plainfield. Hamerstrom life was far from ordinary, even during the childhood of Alan and Elva, and Fran confided to a friend who visited the house years later that "we had all the luxuries (such as a first-rate ornithological library) and none of the necessities".
Later years
Following Frederick Hamerstrom's death in 1990, Hamerstrom visited Saudi ArabiaSaudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
, Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, and South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
. On an expedition in Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
, at age 86, Hamerstrom broke her hip and was evacuated by helicopter. Nonetheless she returned to the area the following year to observe hunting practices on a tributary of the Amazon.
In 1996, Frances Hamerstrom and her husband, Frederick Hamerstrom, were inducted into the Wisconsin Conservation Hall of Fame.
Franes Hamerstrom died at a Port Edwards, Wisconsin
Port Edwards, Wisconsin
Port Edwards is a village in Wood County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,944 at the 2000 census. The village is located northeast and adjacent to the Town of Port Edwards.- Geography :...
, nursing home August 29, 1998.
External links
- Fran Hamerstrom: A Passion for the Wild and Free, Wisconsin Academy Review (Summer 1995).
- STCP:Society Tympanuchus Cupido Pinnatus