I’ve long ago lost track of what kind of blog this is supposed to be, but considering how often I post bird pictures I’d be remiss if I didn’t at least mention the Audubon Society’s recent findings that the population of 20 common birds have declined, some dramatically so, as reported by the
Environmental News Network and by
MSNBC
I sometimes fear the Wildlife Refuges I walk have an unnatural concentration of animals because so much of the birds’ natural habitat has been destroyed.
Most people would never notice the decline of many of these birds because they’ve never noticed them in the first place, but the world would be a poorer place without their presence. I’d hate to think that the only place my grandchildren would get to see some of these birds is in my photographs.
Furthermore, I believe the disappearance of species in these numbers is one more indicator of environmental degradation that threatens mankind itself. We may have far more sophisticated ways of measuring environmental damage, but I’m still a great believer in the Canaries-in-the-Coal-Mines method of measuring potential problems.
There are no easy solutions to loss of habitat, but I’ve devoted most of my charitable donations to groups that are working to preserve the environment, and recently I’ve made it a point to subscribe to organizations that notify me when they feel it would be beneficial to write congress. Now I worry that my representatives will dismiss as some sort of crank. But ultimately it is the squeaky wheel that gets oiled, isn’t it?
Ultimately, I believe that organizations like The Nature Conservancy offer the greatest hope of preserving habitat by buying critical areas and either using them for farming or creating preserves. Our local Audubon society also protects critical habitat.
