Ronald Rood (July 7, 1920- July 16, 2001) was a

Vermont Vermont () is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, New York (state), New York to the west, and the Provinces and territories of Ca ...

author,

naturalist Natural history is a domain of inquiry involving organisms, including animals, fungi, and plants, in their natural environment, leaning more towards observational than experimental methods of study. A person who studies natural history is cal ...

and

Vermont Public Radio Vermont Public Co. is the public broadcaster serving the U.S. state of Vermont. Its headquarters, newsroom, and radio studios are located in Colchester, with television studios in Winooski. It operates two statewide radio services aligned wit ...

commentator who wrote over 30 books, including ''The Loon in My Bathtub,'' ''How Do You Spank a Porcupine?,'' ''It's Going to Sting Me,'' and ''Mother Can I Keep This Clam - It Followed Me Home.'' ''Ron Rood's Vermont: A Nature Guide'' was published by The New England Press in 1988.

Personal life

Rood was born in

Torrington, Connecticut Torrington is the most populated municipality and largest city in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States, and the Northwest Hills Planning Region, Connecticut, Northwest Hills Planning Region. It is also the core city of Greater Torringto ...

, in 1920. He was intrigued by all of nature from early childhood, stating that his mentor was

Thornton Burgess Thornton Waldo Burgess (January 17, 1874 – June 5, 1965) was an American conservationist and author of children's stories. By the time he retired, he had written more than 170 books and 15,000 stories for his daily newspaper column. Biograp ...

. During

the Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies and the Axis powers. Nearly all of the world's countries participated, with many nations mobilising ...

, Rood was a

fighter pilot A fighter pilot or combat pilot is a Military aviation, military aviator trained to engage in air-to-air combat, Air-to-ground weaponry, air-to-ground combat and sometimes Electronic-warfare aircraft, electronic warfare while in the cockpit of ...

, flying

P-51 Mustang The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang is an American long-range, single-seat fighter aircraft, fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II and the Korean War, among other conflicts. The Mustang was designed in 1940 by a team headed ...

s over Europe. He earned a bachelor's degree in

forestry Forestry is the science and craft of creating, managing, planting, using, conserving and repairing forests and woodlands for associated resources for human and Natural environment, environmental benefits. Forestry is practiced in plantations and ...

and wildlife, and later a master's degree in

zoology Zoology ( , ) is the scientific study of animals. Its studies include the anatomy, structure, embryology, Biological classification, classification, Ethology, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinction, extinct, and ...

. He married Margaret "Peg" Bruce in 1942 and in 1953 they moved to

Lincoln, Vermont Lincoln is a New England town, town in Addison County, Vermont, United States. Lincoln is at the base of Mount Abraham in the Green Mountains. It was settled by Quakers in the late 18th century. The population was 1,323 at the 2020 United States C ...

, where he shared a home with his wife and their four children. Their friends Al and Norene Thergesen and their children also shared the home for some years. Rood taught the Introductory Biology Laboratory course at

Middlebury College Middlebury College is a Private university, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Middlebury, Vermont, United States. Founded in 1800 by Congregationalism in the United States, Congregationalists, Middlebury w ...

, collected biological specimens for biological supply houses, and wrote encyclopedia entries on various biological subjects while beginning his writing career. Rood taught Sunday School at the Lincoln United Church and directed its choir for 25 years. Ronald Rood and his family lived for a while in

Massapequa Park, New York Massapequa Park is an incorporated village located within the southern portion of the Town of Oyster Bay in Nassau County, on the South Shore of Long Island, in New York. The population was 17,109 at the time of the 2020 census. The areas sou ...

, where he was an important part of the Massapequa Presbyterian Church. He and his wife, Peggy, both sang in the choir. At his death, he was cremated and the ashes, contained in his favorite coffee pot, were interred in the Maple Shade Cemetery, Lincoln, Vermont, in a plot marked by a boulder bearing his name, dates, Peg's name and birthdate, and the outline of a P-51, among other inscriptions.

Partial bibliography

*''Wild Brother'' *''The How and Why Wonder Book of Insects'' (1960) *''Land Alive'' (1962) *''The How and Why Wonder Book: Ants & Bees'' (1962) *''The How and Why Wonder Book: Butterflies & Moths'' (1963) *''Loon in My Bathtub'' (1964) *''The Sea and Its Wonderful Creatures'' (1965) *''Bees Bugs & Beetles'' (1965) *''Vermont Life Book of Nature'' (1967) *''Hundred Acre Welcome: The Story of a Chincoteague Pony'' (1967) *''Animal Champions'' (1969) *''Answers About Insects'' (1969) *''Animals Nobody Loves'' (1971) *''Wild Brother'' (1971) *''Who Wakes the Groundhog?'' (1973) *''May I Keep this Clam, Mother? It Followed Me Home'' (1973) *''Good Things are Happening'' (1975) *''Possum in the Parking Lot'' (1977) *''It's Going to Sting Me!'' (1977) *''Elephant Bones and Lonely Hearts'' (1977) *''Laska'' (1980) *''Insects'' (1982) *''Ron Rood's Vermont'' (1988) *''Tide Pools'' (1993) *''Wetlands'' (1994) *''New York Public Library Incredible Earth'' (1996) *''How Do You Spank a Porcupine?'' *''Beachcombers All!''

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rood, Ronald 1920 births 2001 deaths University of Connecticut alumni Writers from Vermont Culture of Vermont United States Army Air Forces officers United States Army Air Forces pilots of World War II 20th-century American naturalists

Personal life

Partial bibliography

See also

References