He's not the "birdman from Alcatraz," borrowing a nickname from a well-known movie, but he could very well be called the "birdman from IUS."
L. Lee Morganett, professor of education at the IU Southeast campus, has made it his special project to feed the wild ducks, Canadian geese, songbirds and other miscellaneous feathered and furry friends that inhabit the 177-acre campus in New Albany.
"It's hard to explain why I started feeding the birds," said Morganett. "I guess it all began when I visited the Horicon Marsh Wildlife Refuse in Wisconsin one fall. To be able to witness the sight of 50,000 to 60,000 Canadian geese flying overhead and then watch as they come in for a landing was truly a wonderful and inspiring experience.
"So, when I got back home, it made me more aware of the birds at IUS. I really started this on a small scale. We put up a bird feeder and began feeding the songbirds. Then, a couple of wild ducks started coming to the feeder and then the geese showed up. It just kind of grew into what it is now."
While the water fowl population at the IU Southeast lake, which is located behind the University Center Building, varies in its population size from large to small during the seasons, Morganett estimates that he feeds his feathered friends a 50-pound bag of cracked corn three times a week. Of course, not only do the birds eat the corn, but there are also squirrels, raccoons, beaver and deer who have been known to partake of Morganett's generosity.
After hearing via the faculty and staff newsletter that Morganett was feeding the birds, other IUS faculty and staff started calling him and offering to lend their support through donations of cracked corn and money for feed.
"I was just amazed by the number of people who have called or sent money for the bird feed. My thanks really do go out to them," said Morganett. The donors have now formed into an informal group (flock?) known as the IUS Fowl (feathered and other wildlife) Friends. When people donate toward the birds' keep, they receive a certificate suitable for framing that states that they are charter members of IUS Fowl Friends and that "there are no meetings to gaggle about and no election of officers to ruffle your feathers. You will, however, receive the unflappable appreciation of our feathered colleagues at IUS."
"Helping to feed the birds just makes life more positive for me. They are so beautiful to look at," said Morganett. "It's a situation where you can see firsthand that you are making a difference and making the world a little better place in which to live."
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