Any of my friends will tell you I get a little goofy about birds. My dad introduced me and my brothers to birds. I don’t recall a moment in my childhood when we did not have a bird feeder in our yard. For a few years we even raised chickens. Today I have my own feeders. I like to photograph birds. My artwork is about birds. I enjoy identifying them by their song. I own a good pair of binoculars for watching them. I get updates via email on birding in Southeast Michigan. I participate in bird counts. On the 19th of December I helped count birds for the Audubon Christmas Bird Count. Every year I learn something new about birds that fuel my passion for them. One of my favorite birds is the American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos). There are several books out there about the American Crow which describe their intelligence and social behavior. I’m also impressed by the world travelling migratory warblers who travel thousands of miles without a gps. The more you learn about birds the more you realize they don’t get the respect they deserve. I personally think we humans would be a better species if we deflated our egos a bit and allowed ourselves to learn something from the birds. They are perfectly adapted for survival on this planet. We seem to be struggling in that regard.
I’ve given this a little thought. Given our current problems with our economy and climate why not look to nature for answers to sustainability? Organic farming practices are bird friendly and earth friendly. Planting native plants and trees are bird friendly and earth friendly. Keeping our watershed clean is bird friendly and earth friendly. The things we can do to help the birds also help our planet. That’s why I’m promoting the recreational birding industry in my hometown. It’s good for the birds and it’s good for the planet. This isn’t a new concept. I’m also a member of Trout Unlimited (TU). TU fights for the protection of trout habitat for the sport fishing industry. Trout are the saviors of the great rivers of northern Michigan. Unfortunately trout can’t save us here in Lenawee. Geographically the River Raisin Watershed is too warm to sustain them. So what else is there? Birds! Birds! Birds! The River Raisin Watershed is located in the path of two major bird migratory flyways. Let your imagination run wild here. Lenawee County is also a major agriculture community. We could be leading a transition from industrial farming to organic farming. Instead of constructing more manufacturing plants why not reestablish the wetlands that once existing before they were drained for farming? Could birds be the answer to a failing economy and a deteriorating climate? I realize it’s not that simple. One might argue that capitalism will prevent this from ever happening without Government intervention. If you read the history of our great National Park Service you will find this to be true. The human spirit is hell-bent on destruction and devours everything in its path. But there are also equal amounts of faith in the human spirit. If trout can protect the great rivers of northern Michigan can the birds save us here? The answer lies in how much Faith we have and whether we live according to it.
The Heron 