Audubon Nature Institute to feature Joseph Boyden, Bill Loefhelm and David Eugene Ray at Keller Library

The Audubon Nature Institute will host an evening of conservation education featuring Joseph Boyden, Bill Loefhelm and David Eugene Ray from 6 – 8 p.m. on Wednesday, August 31, at Rosa Keller Library (4300 S. Broad). This event is free and open to the public.

New Orleans authors Joseph Boyden, Bill Loefhelm, and David Eugene Ray will discuss their favorite books about conservation at Rosa Keller Library and Community Center. Audubon Nature Institute staff members David Niebuhr, Michelle Hatwood, and Llewellyn Everage will also join in this engaging discussion. The event is sponsored by the Audubon Nature Institute volunteer department to expand awareness of our natural world.

Joseph Boyden is the winner of the 2006 Amazon Books in Canada First Novel Award, the 2008 Scotiabank Giller Prize, and the 2014 Canada Reads. Boyden is a correspondent for Macleans Magazine, a former UNO professor, a New Orleans Resident, and in 2015, Boyden was appointed to the Order of Canada for his tireless work advocating for Canada’s First Nations.

Bill Loehfelm is the winner of the 2008 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award, and the author of the New Orleans-set crime fiction series featuring rookie cop Maureen Coughlin. The latest book in the series, Let the Devil Out, was published this summer. His other novels include Doing the Devil’s Work, The Devil in Her Way, The Devil She Knows, and the stand alone novels, Bloodroot, and Fresh Kills. He lives in New Orleans with his wife, the writer AC Lambeth, and plays drums in a rock-n-roll band.

David Eugene Ray’s The Little Mouse Santi was named one of Kirkus’ Best Books of 2015, and received a coveted starred Kirkus review. Ray is a musician and songwriter, and the inspiration for his award-winning book came from a bedtime story he told to his son, Louis. Ray is a data and compliance coordinator in the Audubon Volunteers department, and as our database guru, he makes sure that everything

Dr. David H. Niebuhr is the Managing Director of the Audubon Zoo and the Vice President for Education at the Audubon Nature Institute in New Orleans. Dr. Niebuhr prides himself on being a lifelong teacher and bringing an enthusiastic and engaging style to his subject matter. He holds a Ph.D. in Biological Oceanography and has a broad background as an educator having worked as a high school teacher, a college professor, as a field-based educator, and is nationally recognized for curriculum development in biology and ecology.

Michelle Hatwood is the Animal Curator at the Audubon Species Survival Center. Over the last 15 years Michelle has worked in various zoos around the country; she has done everything from raising cheetah cubs to working on field conservation projects in South America to transporting antelope between the United States and Europe. Her passions include hoofstock, animal behavior, and promoting responsible zoos as the last great defense against the rapid decline of global biodiversity.

Llewellyn Everage is the Director of Volunteer and Intern Resources at Audubon Nature Institute. She began her career at Audubon 10 years ago as a volunteer and then intern before joining the Development team. Llewellyn feels deeply honored to lead the team of volunteers and interns who so generously donate their time and talent to help Audubon achieve its mission of conservation and education.