In 1938, a stray parakeet flew into their barn, moving Spear to create his first bird carving using only a penknife.
After his release from military service, he returned to Vermont and went to work at the General Electric (GE) plant in Burlington.
In the late 1970s, he was active in establishing the Green Mountain Audubon Center in Huntington and served as its first director for seven years.
In addition to creating all the bird carvings and their display cases, Spear also helped design and build the museum itself.
The length of time required for Spear to complete a carving varies widely, depending on the size of the bird.