National Outdoor Book Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 22 (2018) Winner
Bernd Heinrich
ベルント・ハインリッヒ
Bernd Heinrich
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1940-04-19 （Bad Polzin (now Połczyn-Zdrój, Poland)）
- Nationality
- Germany, United States
- Languages
- German, English
- Residence History
- Trittau (childhood) / Germany → Maine (residence/work) / United States → California (UCLA, Berkeley appointments) / United States → Vermont (University of Vermont faculty) / United States
Career
- Occupations
- Biologist, Professor (Emeritus), Author (nature writing), Runner (ultrarunner)
- Active Years
- 1965-
- Affiliations
- University of California, Berkeley (faculty), University of California, Los Angeles (research/Ph.D.), University of Vermont (professor, emeritus)
- Influenced By
- Gerd Heinrich (father, entomologist)
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grundschule Trittau (elementary school) | — | — | — | 1946–1950 | Germany |
| University of Maine | — | — | — | — | United States |
| University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) | — | Biology/Entomology | Ph.D. | — | United States |
Grundschule Trittau (elementary school)
Period:
1946–1950
Year of Graduation:
1950
Country:
Germany
Primary education in Germany.
University of Maine
Country:
United States
Attended college; bachelor's details not specified.
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
Biology/Entomology
Degree:
Ph.D.
Year of Graduation:
1970
Country:
United States
Earned Ph.D. in 1970.
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Guggenheim Fellowship | — | — | John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation | 受賞 |
| 1976 | Harvard Fellow | — | — | Harvard University (fellowship) | 受賞 |
| 1988 | Alexander von Humboldt Fellowship | — | — | Alexander von Humboldt Foundation | 受賞 |
| 2007 | American Ultrarunning Hall of Fame (induction) | — | — | American Ultrarunning Association | 殿堂入り |
Guggenheim Fellowship
1976
Organization:
John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation
Result:
受賞
Harvard Fellow
1976
Organization:
Harvard University (fellowship)
Result:
受賞
Alexander von Humboldt Fellowship
1988
Organization:
Alexander von Humboldt Foundation
Result:
受賞
American Ultrarunning Hall of Fame (induction)
2007
Organization:
American Ultrarunning Association
Result:
殿堂入り
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Bumblebee Economics
1979 Science / Nature writingA scientific study of bumblebee physiology and ecology, covering foraging behavior and energy strategies.
insect physiologyforaging strategiesenergetics
The Hot-Blooded Insects: Strategies and Mechanisms of Thermoregulation
1993 Academic / PhysiologyA comparative study of thermoregulatory strategies and physiological mechanisms in insects.
thermoregulationcomparative physiology
Ravens in Winter
1989 Natural history / Animal behaviorDetailed observations and research on raven behavior and winter survival strategies, blending scientific description and natural history.
raven behaviorsocial behaviorwinter survival
Why We Run: A Natural History
2001 Science essay / Exercise physiologyExamines running from biological and evolutionary perspectives, arguing human long-distance running is an adaptation compared to other animals.
runningevolutionary biologyexercise physiology
The Snoring Bird: My Family's Journey Through a Century of Biology
2007 Memoir / BiographyA memoir intertwining family history and a century of biological research, including accounts of his father Gerd Heinrich and family contributions to science.
family historyhistory of sciencememoir
A Year in the Maine Woods
1994 Nature essayAn essay collection describing seasonal changes and ecology of plants and animals across a year in the Maine woods.
seasonal changefield natural history
Winter World: The Ingenuity of Animal Survival
2003 Natural history / EcologyExplores the ingenuity of animals in surviving winter, illustrating various adaptations with abundant examples.
winter adaptationssurvival strategies
The Homing Instinct: Meaning & Mystery in Animal Migration
2014 Natural history / Behavioral ecologyInvestigates the meaning and mysteries underlying animal migration and homing behavior through essays and scientific insight.
migrationhoming behaviornavigation
Bibliography
- Bumblebee Economics
- Insect Thermoregulation
- In a Patch of Fireweed: A Biologist's Life in the Field
- One Man's Owl
- Ravens in Winter
- The Hot-Blooded Insects: Strategies and Mechanisms of Thermoregulation
- A Year in the Maine Woods
- Mind of the Raven: Investigations and Adventures With Wolf-Birds
- Why We Run: A Natural History
- Winter World: The Ingenuity of Animal Survival
- The Snoring Bird: My Family's Journey Through a Century of Biology
- The Homing Instinct: Meaning & Mystery in Animal Migration
- White Feathers: The Nesting Lives of Tree Swallows
- Racing the Clock: A Running Life With Nature
Adaptations
- An Uncommon Curiosity: at home & in nature with Bernd Heinrich (documentary, 2011)
- The Truth About Trees (documentary series appearance, 2015)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- detailed observational descriptionblend of scientific analysis and personal essayconcise, explanatory prose
- Recurring Motifs
- animal behavior and adaptationseasonality and survivalindividual life stories with biological insightrunning and embodiment
Legacy
Bernd Heinrich is known for significant contributions to insect physiology and animal behavior scholarship and for widely read nature-writing books on natural history and running. His works combine scientific rigor with personal observation and have influenced both academic and general audiences.
Archives
- University of Vermont Biology Department materials (faculty profile / archives)
In Popular Culture
- Recognized as a legendary figure in the ultrarunning community
- His nature writing led to appearances in documentary films
Trivia
- He is the son of entomologist Gerd Heinrich.
- Set numerous ultramarathon records in the 1980s and was inducted into the American Ultrarunning Association Hall of Fame in 2007.