Biodiversity Research Institute (BRI) announces the launch of their new publishing house Big Dipper Books to take place at the opening of a special wildlife art exhibit called A Critical Balance: Artists Take Action, August 16 at Highland Center for the Arts in Greensboro, Vermont.
“Big Dipper Books is a creative publishing house at the intersection of science and art, dedicated to advancing wildlife conservation through powerful storytelling,” says David Evers, Ph.D., executive director of Biodiversity Research Institute and publisher of Big Dipper Books. “Through the voices of professional wildlife experts, we bring together scientific insight complemented by high quality visual design to create books that deepen the connection between people and places—turning pages into catalysts for change.”
The debut title for Big Dipper Books, Birds of Amboseli, was inspired by BRI’s wildlife research in Kenya, Africa, where the Institute conducts biodiversity surveys, carbon sequestration projects, and mercury monitoring.
Amboseli National Park hosts more than 500 species of birds, including resident species, birds that migrate to and from Africa, and those that stopover on their journeys to other locales. The book, due out in Spring, 2026, highlights approximately 25 birds in each of five habitats including open water, wetlands, savannah, scrublands, and woodlands.
“Birds of Amboseli exemplifies the Press’s commitment to merging science and art for a greater purpose,” says Evers. “Our goal as a publishing house is to provide more than photo books or field guides—our books will be a call to wonder and a call to action, reminding us that to know the natural world is to value it, and to value it is to protect it.”
For more information about the launch of Big Dipper Books, please visit: www.bigdipperbooks.com
To help promote the work, BRI is partnering with A Critical Balance (ACB), a juried group of New England artists who aim to convey both the beauty of their wildlife subjects and the need to protect them. The traveling exhibit serves to raise awareness and support for conservation efforts.
“Art inspires and educates in ways that will reach beyond statistics, policy, and politics,” says Adelaide Murphy Tyrol, co-founder of ACB. “We are delighted to highlight the birds of Amboseli as our theme for this year’s exhibit. Each artist has chosen subjects that are found in Amboseli National Park in Kenya and are listed on the IUCN Red List as endangered or threatened.”
BRI, a nonprofit wildlife research institute, is dedicated to advancing environmental awareness and informing decision makers about their research. Over the course of its history, this nonprofit scientific research group has used art to engage the public and David Evers, founder and executive director of BRI, along with loon biologist and writer Kate Taylor, have co-authored five wildlife books published over the past 20 years. Big Dipper Books grew from the success of those books to engage readers in conservation. For more information, visit: www.briwildlife.org
A Critical Balance–Birds of Amboseli will be on exhibit at the Highland Center for the Arts from August 14 through September 2025. For more information, visit: www.highlandartsvt.org
Additional Scheduled Exhibits:
- North Branch Nature Center, Montpelier, VT: April 2026 – June 2026
- Lewis Gallery at the Portland Library, Portland, ME: July 2026 – September 2026
