Meet Richard Crossley | Books and connecting people to nature.

We had the good fortune of connecting with Richard Crossley and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Richard, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
Everything I have done, or wanted to do, meant making it better or changing how we do it. Change is risk. For many, fear of failure is debilitating. For me, doing something that somebody has done before is typically not worth doing. Making something better is the real reward in life, particularly if it positively effects peoples lives. Failure is part of that success.

I have taken many big risks in my life. One of the bigger ones was perhaps the one I am best known for ‘The Crossley ID Guide’: Eastern Birds. $250,000, 6 years (the first two basically a throwaway), 11000 images in a book that when published people could not work out whether the images were paintings, photos or something undiscovered. Audubon’s review was ‘What is different about this book? Everything!’

I sacrificed a lot to do the book and took several large risks. The only things I regret are the things I didn’t try. In this case I was going to self-publish the book. In the end, I didn’t. I often tell people this was the biggest mistake I made in my life. I played it safe – or so I thought at the time! No guts, no glory, and I certainly chickened out on that one. If only I could take it back. You don’t get second chances on such rare opportunity’s!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Backpacking the World watching birds till I was 27 was the best education I could have had. My ex-wife Deb, and I, then emigrated from England to the birding Mecca of Cape May, NJ. Despite no industry and expensive real estate, we made it work in corporate America. Financially sound at 40, I began to think about paying it forward; to be influential in improving birding and conservation here. Youth birding was almost nonexistent then, so with our 2 daughters in the school system we set up Cape May Young Birders Club and I co-founded two foundations to promote birding among young people. Youth birding is much more popular these days. I have published 7 books. The lifelike The Crossley ID Guides were made possible by digital photography and Photoshop. Very complex, the scenes are the first to be lifelike: a place to practice! To this point they have not been replicated because of their complexity and expense. Some might think that is a good thing. I don’t because lifelike imagery is the best way to learn and to help people is my primary goal. Perhaps A.I. will change that.
I have also been involved with wildlife TV, connecting wildlife organizations and talk about how to look at and connect to birds in a better, more satisfying way. Although I am best known for the unique The Crossley ID Guides series, I quietly put a lot of effort and money to making positive changes in many areas. Working out how successful I have been is impossible to know.
I typically get treated as a celebrity in the birding fraternity. I speak all over the country and to have a voice is fantastic. This can be very rewarding, particularly among young people. I get lots of photos of parents with The Crossley ID Guides as their kids bedtime books. You can’t beat that and it makes all the effort worthwhile. However, I feel very frustrated at times. People find change very hard to embrace. Fighting through this, when really big improvements could be so easily made, can be tough.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
My favorite spot is always the place I know best, my yard. If you don’t have one, try your local park or anywhere nearby with water. I look at birds just like I do people. I am not interested what shade of brown their skin is. I am interested in their personality. Size, shape, behavior and color patterns are all linked to how and where they live. Connecting these dots is fun and rewarding. Birds, like people, have personality. Really getting to know the ones you see regularly is where the connection and enjoyment comes from. Getting in the moment will help you see our commonalities and ultimately can lead to introspection (Ornitherapy: For Your, Mind, Body and Soul. (Merker, Crossley, Crossley/Crossley Books). The fad today is running everywhere to count birds without ever getting to know them. If you slow it down, sit in one place and wait for nature to come to you, and ask lots of questions, you will find it rewarding. Places like Marina Del Rey jetties or Malibu State Park have lots of approachable birds but please remember, you don’t get to know anyone in 5 minutes.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Since being knee-high to a grasshopper my Dad would blurt out ‘look at that, just look at that’. That celebration of the outdoors that my loving parents encouraged, along with hard work, solving problems, and believing anything was possible, allowed me the confidence to tackle life head-on. I owe them everything. I understand that better each day. This background led to a curiosity that allowed me to learn so much, from so many, all over the world. I have met and know many brilliant people. I am very lucky.

Website: www.crossleybooks.com

Facebook: Richard Crossley

Image Credits
None. All R Crossley