Ed Neumuth, a former veterinarian, passionate birder, and Sweetwood resident spoke with The Greylock Echo about his life experiences.

Echo: Where did you grow up, and what was your childhood like?

Ed Neumuth: I had a lovely childhood. I grew up in Dumont, New Jersey, which is in Bergen County. My dad worked in New York City for a while, and then his job moved, and so we moved to Northern New Jersey.

Echo: What are some of your favorite memories from when you were younger?

Neumuth: My fondest memory is every summer we used to go to Breezy Point which was a beach. So I loved swimming in the ocean and, you know, living at the beach.

Echo: Who had the biggest influence on you growing up?

Neumuth: The author of Golden Treasury of Natural History, Bertha Morris Parker. I was given that book when I was young, and I just absorbed it. Natural history is kind of my thing.

Echo: What got you into being a veterinarian?

Neumuth: I’ve loved animals all my life, so I went to the University of Pennsylvania med school. It was awesome.

Echo: Have you ever had any pets yourself?

Neumuth: My latest was a misnomer. She was called Minnie. She was a chocolate lab. She was actually a maxi, you know, kind of chubby. So I’ve had a number of dogs and cats as well. Just part of the deal, you know.

Echo: What is one memory from your time as a vet that stayed with you?

Neumuth: One of my favorite animal memories was a job for a woman by the name of Yolanda Romano, who had a farm in Middlefield. She had a lactating cow, and she had stepped on its teeth and tore it. So I was under there sewing it up and then milk and blood poured into my eyes.

Echo: Did any of your experiences as a vet change the way you think about pet care at all?

Neumuth: I had some really sad experiences as a vet. You know, animals that were neglected, tied on a short rope outside in the winter. So I’m an advocate for good quality pet
care.

Echo: Can you tell me about your family?

Neumuth: I have, let’s see, three siblings. My younger brother lives in Alaska. My sisters live in New York and California. They’re younger as well.

Echo: Were there any people you met during your career that really impacted you?

Neumuth: Everyone impacted me. After I graduated from vet school, I moved up to Massachusetts and lived in the town of Washington, which is in South Berkshire County, and I got involved with birding. You know what birding is, just hanging out with binoculars and a field guide and going off. I lived in October Mountain State Forest, which was the largest state forest in Massachusetts at the time, so my backyard was wilderness and I took advantage of it.

Echo: Can you tell me a bit about your love for birds?

Neumuth: My love of natural history took me into the forest, and I learned the wildflowers and the birds because it was available. And so I was president of the Hoffman Bird Club for, I don’t know, five years or so, so I got involved with a bunch of friends that were actively birding, as opposed to bird watching, which sounds awfully passive.

Echo: What advice would you give to a young person today?

Neumuth: Follow your dream. You know, it may not be economically feasible, but do what you want to follow your dream.