Discovering the World of William Bartram

William Bartram, America's most famed naturalist, visited what is now Alabama in the summer and fall of 1775 during a four-year odyssey of discovery through the American South. The landscapes, plants, animals, and people he encountered were truly remarkable, and he was particularly impressed with what he found in the Mobile-Tensaw Delta. In 1791 he published a book, commonly called Travels, that recounts his adventure. Through detailed descriptions and colorful prose, Bartram's work opens a vibrant window into a world that may seem quite alien to us today, but one which you can glimpse if you're looking in the right places! During a two-hour cruise along the waters of the tranquil Tensaw River retracing a portion of Bartram's route and in a short free presentation afterwards, Brian Rushing, a Bartram "enthusiast," will introduce you to this colorful character. Along the way we'll discover the wonderful things he saw and experienced while on his journey, and his incredible contributions to biology, history, and literature. Participants will come away with an appreciation for not only Bartram as a scientist and an artist, but of the landscapes and Indigenous People that once existed in what we now call "Alabama."