[Tweeters] Hal Opperman tribute

[via Tweeters]

   I have known Hal since the 1988-89 Master Birder class. I was lucky to have been part of that group. It was an amazing group. Dan Victor was also in that class as well as Bob Sunstrom. Many other classmates are still involved in the birding community. Jane Hadley wrote about Hal for the 2014 WOS News. In the article, Jane quoted that Hal had said the class, “opened up a path I have followed ever since”. While I have never accomplished as much as Hal, I am still on that same path. I did not remember that Hal was the first administrator of the Birdbox. At the time it was a big deal. I remember calling in and being asked how many species of chickadees are found in WA. I guess only serious birders would know that there are Boreal Chickadees in the state along with the other three more commonly known species.
 
    Hal married his wife, JoLynn at the Broadmoor Country Club while we were taking the Master Birder class. They were very kind to invite all the students to the wedding. It was an afternoon wedding followed by another one at the venue in the evening. We enjoyed ourselves into the late afternoon, too long as far as the staff was concerned. They finally asked us to leave. For years we joked about how it was the nicest place we were ever kicked out of.
 
    My wife Carleen has known Hal much longer than I have. Hal was her Art History professor at the UW in the early 70s. She said that the class was hard, but the teacher was great. While we think of Hal in the birding world, she thinks of him as an art instructor.
 
     I know that while he is retiring from handling Tweeters, he will still be part of the birding community that he has helped develop for so many years.
 
Neil Zimmerman
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