April 8th is Draw a Picture of a Bird Day! Yup, this day is exactly what you think it is – a reason to simply draw birds! And ornithological celebration, no one knows exactly who founded it, but it’s very straightforward: simply draw a picture of a bird in tribute to our feathered friends!
As for its origins, a variety of sources point to Dorie Cooper, who in 1943, was 7-years-old and living in England. As the story goes, when her mother took her to visit an uncle who had been wounded in the war, little Dorie asked him draw a bird for her. Even though he was depressed (because of the injury), he complied – inspired by a robin he saw out the window.
Dorie’s reaction lifted his spirits and he kept drawing birds for her every time she visited…and several other wounded soldiers began holding drawing contests to see who could produce the best bird pictures. Soon, the walls of the entire ward were covered wit bird drawings.Sadly, Dorie was killed after being struck by a car three years later. At her funeral, her coffin was filled with bird images that had been made by soldiers, nurses and doctors from the ward where her uncle had been. Since then, it was decided to mark her birthday, April 8th, as Draw a Bird Day. Today, it’s celebrated as a way to express joy in the very simplest of things in life and as a way to help soldiers everywhere forget war and suffering even if only for a short time.