I was an officer at the time with Todd, Barry McGlaughlin, and Clay Kempf.
We wanted to develop a website and post the newsletter on it. There was
going to be pushback from some of the longtime officers who thought if
people could get the newsletter for free then they would not become
members. It was our opinion that getting our organization out there would
attract more members*. Todd was the new Prez and at dinner before we
discussed it.
We were frustrated by the resistance to creating an online presence and a
little concerned that a vote might stall or end the move to create the
website. Todd said to just do it and talk about it after it was done. The
facts on the ground are often hard to argue with. Once it was up and
running it was quite popular and a non-issue.
I think Todd was also a majordomo of the listserve MMB in the beginning. He
also led lots of trips.
Todd had been a birder in his youth, birding with some of the early giants
in ornithology including Ludlow Grisham and others. He stopped birding when
he became a founding professor at UCSC then took it back up when he was
close to retirement. Being such an old hand at birding along with his
career teaching he was an excellent birder and mentor to many beginning
birders.He taught invertebrate biology and used to tell me. with his dry
sense of humour, that he had made a career out of teaching people the
mundane.
He was such an intelligent and multi-faceted person, playing the cello and
traveling to Europe. His wit and wisdom will be missed. I once told him I
would like to go to Madagascar. His response was to do it soon. His take on
life and travel was that you are really buying memories that last well
beyond the actual trip so the sooner you take that trip the longer you have
the memories and the better the investment.
A truly unique, erudite man, and a good friend.
Cliff Bixler
On Sun, Feb 22, 2026 at 12:51 AM Alexander Gaguine <
<alexandergaguine...> wrote:
> Hi
>
> During the Elkhorn Ranch SCBC trip today, the group stopped and talked a
> few minutes, remembering Todd Newberry.
>
> Do I remember correctly that, as the local phone-based Rare Bird Alert
> system was waning, and long before e-bird, Todd was the one who led the
> development of this here MBB communication system?
>
> Alexander
>
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