General Meeting – Larry Parmeter, How the Birds Taught Humanity to Fly

Description: 

Since the dawn of recorded history, humans have wanted to fly like the birds. Although many studied the secret of avian flight during the Renaissance and the Enlightenment, it was not until the Industrial Revolution that the technological tools for humanity to fly became available. By the mid and late 1800s, spurred on by the science of bird flight, dozens of people, and the Wright Brothers were not the first, were attempting to master human flight. This culminated in the early 20th century with pioneering aviators on both sides of the Atlantic, and the Pacific as well, joining the birds in the air. 

Biography: 

Larry is a retired high school English teacher who currently teaches for the Osher Adult Continuing  Education Program at Fresno State. He has been a member of Fresno Audubon for over 30 years, and was its president during the 1990s. He currently leads field trips for both Audubon and the San Joaquin River Parkway, and is also involved in the Parkway’s  environmental education program for elementary school students. He has also had a longtime interest in the space program and aviation, which led him to tonight’s presentation.