[mou] Fire up those engines, Spring '06 is here

[Steve Morrison]

Just some thoughts with spring migration and our
respective vehicles firing up.
 
Many Minnesota birders and more all the time drive all
over heck to see our beloved birds.  This includes
individual trips, festivals and organized trips.  I am
sorry but it seems a contradiction of sorts that we
nature lovers burn much fossil fuel in pursuit of
seeing these creatures, many of them threatened as we
all know.  All this for our recreation.

Many people document their travels on the MOU or
MNBird listserves. "I drove out to the Felton Prairie
or up to the North Shore or over to Lac Qui Parle".
Hello!!! These are not short drives for most involved
and, I am sure, not made in vehicles packed with
people or in fuel efficient autos (since almost all
vehicles on the road are mediocre at best in terms of
MPG). 

Now, isn't the proliferation of Birding Festivals and
field trips (MOU, Audubon, private entrepreneurs) just
promoting energy consumption in order to see all the
birds at the expense of the environment we all
supposedly care about so much?  
I am no saint either but there is a disconnect that is
becoming more apparent as the climate heats up and our
energy habits come under more scrutiny.

So, what if there really were the tons of birders that
surveys contend are out there?  What if more and more
people drove to attend festivals to see all the
wonderful birds out there?  After all don't we want
more and more people involved in this great hobby?  I
think the argument is that more birders means more
potential conservationists which is supposed to
translate into more support for the environment. 
Another argument is that by encouraging birding
tourism and witnessing the $$ it brings in more
communities and the state might see the value of
preserving/acquiring more habitat.  Possibly and
hopefully true but I haven't seen any data supporting
this assumption.

My position is that we need to do more tangible
concrete things to help out our avian friends.  We
need to take responsibility for our hobby and get real
about our contribution to climate change and our
commitment to helping the environment here and in
non-breeding areas.
 
So instead of just ranting, here is one thing I think
could be done for starters. This just an idea and
admittedly not a perfect one at that. 
I think that all these Birding Festivals and field
trips should voluntarily and enthusiastically pay a
carbon tax in order to try and "do right" by the birds
and environment.  
This at least would sort of "pay back" for the
consumption of resources being used during the events
and getting people to and from events.  Secondarily
this would show us taking responsibility for the fact
that all the traveling in pursuit of this HOBBY has a
negative effect on the environment. 
 
Heck, rock musicians are doing carbon payback for
Pete's sake. Birders are at least as cool as rock
stars right?   Actually I am embarrassed that we
didn't initiate something like this before the rock
stars did.  We should be the leaders on this sort of
thing and not the followers!

Another thing I think could be done is for trips and
festivals to add a tax or "impact fee", thereby
contributing some $$ to the Nature Conservancy, or to
conservation efforts in Central/South America.  The
ideas here are endless I am sure.
  
Once again, I just think there is a disconnect between
all this birding (traveling, driving in pursuit of
seeing/listing birds), birdings contribution to
climate change and pollution in general, and our
expressed commitment to helping our feathered friends.
I think it would show great leadership if the MOU and
Audubon took the bull by the horns on this.

Thank you for your time.  

Now back to planning all the great birding excursions
I (hope) to take this spring. 

Good Birding,

Steve Morrison
Mpls



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