Burr was a bird dog for his mom, Frances Williams, as she did her research on the Cassin's Sparrow for Bent's American birds. He tagged along with her through 75 or more Christmas Counts, the annual big day count, and dozens of Breeding Bird Surveys, all the while looking at plants. Burr published his first article in the Midland Naturalist's newsletter at age nine. After roaming the west for seven years after high school, he returned to Midland, to start a xeriscape nursery before xeriscape was a word. In 1980, Burr built a nature trail for the city, and six years later had helped raise enough money for a nature center building. In 1999, the local paper began publishing his columns on the local flora, fauna, geography, and history.