Western receives $1M from Margaret Atwood for avian research chair

Western University has received a $1M donation from author Margaret Atwood in honour of her late partner and fellow writer Graeme Gibson. The Graeme Gibson Chair in Avian Biology will seek to understand how birds move, behave, and adapt to their environment. When appointed, the chair will take advantage of Western’s Centre for Animals on the Move, Western’s Advanced Facility for Avian Research, and connections with the Pelee Island Bird Observatory to support their research. “Birds are the canaries in the coal mine,” explained Atwood. “They indicate the health of an ecosystem.”