Monthly Club Meeting – The Past, Present and Future of our Relationship with Pigeons

When people think about pigeons, it’s mostly negative — rats with wings, dirty pests, trash animals. For doves, it’s the opposite — they’re symbols of love, peace, safety, and even spirituality. But the words “pigeon” (French) and “dove” (Old English / Germanic) are just different terms for the same family of bird — Columbidae. So… what’s going on here? In this talk, Aspen and Michelle will cover ten thousand years of pigeon history, starting with their domestication, covering thousands of years of a mutually beneficial relationship and positive feelings, up through the 1960s when the relationship turned sour. They will talk about how the future might look different, and why we think empathy for pigeons is surprisingly crucial during this moment in history.

Speaker Bios: Aspen Simone (they/them) is a co-founder of Philly Pigeon Tours. They have a decade-plus career in civic technology, working for agencies and companies focused on regional planning, zoning, and sustainability, as well as on federal benefits and environmental cleanup programs. They hold a Bachelor’s in Geography from Dartmouth, spanning natural and urban geography, as well as a Master’s in Conflict Resolution from UMass Boston.

Hannah Michelle Brower (she/her) is a co-founder of Philly Pigeon Tours. A lifelong birder, HM got her start in nature education during high school at the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans, and holds a Master of Science in Epidemiology from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. She also teaches about bugs with Insectopia, and is presently working towards a professional certificate in restorative justice with Suffolk University.