Frederick D. Schroeder, a longtime Connecticut Audubon member and a steadfast friend
Frederick D. Schroeder
January 21, 2021 — Connecticut Audubon is remembering Frederick D. Schroeder, a friend and birding companion as well as a former regional board member and one of the organization’s longest active members.
Mr. Schroeder, who lived in Redding, died January 16 at age 86. He and his wife, Jean, were part of a celebration at Connecticut Audubon’s 2019 annual meeting of the organization’s most loyal members – 40-plus people who had been members for 45 consecutive years or more.
He worked locally to conserve birds in his hometown, banded birds in Fairfield, volunteered statewide as a board member of the Connecticut Ornithological Association, and was a longtime member of Connecticut Audubon’s Fairfield Board of Governors. His love of birds was founded on deep friendships within the birding community.
“We will miss Fred, a man of great intelligence and sly wit who donated so many thousands of hours to conservation activities,” Kathleen Van Der Aue, the chair of Connecticut Audubon’s Board of Directors, said. “His integrity and skill in accounting made him the ideal treasurer for many birding organizations. His common sense approach and knowledge of the law made him a valuable asset to our Connecticut Audubon Board and several others. We extend our heartfelt condolences to Jean, his wife of 62 years, and the rest of his family.”
Milan Bull, Connecticut Audubon’s senior director of science and conservation, said that he and Mr. Schroeder were friends for more than three decades.
He said: “From field trips to East Africa, Galapagos, and Texas, to local birding expeditions, Fred has always been the kind of guy who, no matter the circumstance always had just the right sense of humor and good will to keep everyone smiling — including encountering a poisonous snake in the grass in Kenya which terrified Jean!
“He was a gentleman’s gentleman with a big heart, a gracious demeanor, and a wonderful intellect that could turn a difficult problem into a simple solution. For his character, ability and generosity he will always be remembered by his friends at Connecticut Audubon, and by me.”
“I’ve had so many memorable experiences with Fred. While a lot of these centered around meals (always accompanied by a good wine), best were the quiet times, such as when we were working on a citizen science project studying the effects of forest fragmentation on thrushes.”
Mr. Schroeder was a member of the bird banding team at Birdcraft Sanctuary in Fairfield, and a frequent supportive presence at Connecticut Audubon events and programs. Among his many conservation activities, he served as treasurer of the Connecticut Ornithological Association.
“I’ve had so many memorable experiences with Fred,” Kathleen Van Der Aue said. “While a lot of these centered around meals (always accompanied by a good wine), best were the quiet times, such as when we were working on a citizen science project studying the effects of forest fragmentation on thrushes. We sat in the woods identifying birds by their songs, a skill Fred encouraged me to learn that has enormously enhanced my birding. He also was instrumental in getting my husband to buy my first pair of Swarovskis when we were in Costa Rica on my birthday.
“I think my favorite memory was when we were on a Connecticut Audubon trip to Italy. Fred and I were up at dawn birding, leaving our spouses slumbering on peacefully. We noticed a Chickadee-like bird called a Willow Tit acting somewhat agitated and saw that its attention was centered on a rusty hole in a tennis net stanchion. A man was cutting the grass with a large tractor nearby and we watched breathlessly as the four nestlings fledged from the hole, one at a time, and were safely hustled to a nearby tree by the anxious parents.”
Connecticut Audubon Executive Director Patrick Comins said Mr. Schroeder was “a wonderful man” who helped him get his start in the conservation field:
“Fred was absolutely selfless in his service to birds and the environment. He was particularly influential in conservation issues related to grassland bird management and served as a steward for the Town of Redding’s important Bobolink nesting areas. Fred provided several decades of critical service to the Connecticut Audubon Society, the Connecticut Ornithological Association and to his home town of Redding — a true champion for the birds and their habitats.”
Click here to read his obituary from the New York Times.
