[mou] Owl Avenue: R.I.P.
Laura Erickson
bluejay@lauraerickson.com
Fri, 9 Mar 2007 09:48:28 -0600
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As Sparky noted, "the foresters' attitude from the start was one of "You can
tell us the value of this area but we are going to log where we want." Their
solution was always to send birders to other areas where these birds could
be found. The arrogance was obvious and unproductive to the goals of the
meeting."
The Minnesota birding community needs to start working together on critical
issues like this, because loggers and people who want to mine Minnesota and
build wind farms and endless mazes of powerlines and make the Park Point
airport bigger and develop ever more habitat are organized and powerful. We
birders, on the other hand, have become a fragmented, factionalized lot, and
when something important happens, divided we fall. I'm horribly sad about
this, and feel guilty that I wasn't there, protesting and laying down in
front of the "super axe-hackers" to stop them, protesting and getting the
media involved. We can't go back and fix this--Owl Avenue is lost and it
will be decades before it's restored. But how about we at least "Remember
the Alamo" and use this horrible event to start all working together to save
the best birding places? As friends and fellow-birders who all want to
protect the birds we love, not as competitors or people so concerned about
appearing savvy and cool and wise that we grow ever more scared to speak out
with knowledge and passion? Does every non-profit nature-related
organization have to compete with every other one, or can we all move our
sights from this circular firing range we've created and start focusing
together on protecting birds and their habitat and working together? It's
the only way we'll ever start winning an occasional battle.
-
Laura Erickson
Duluth
There is symbolic as well as actual beauty in the migration of birds. There
is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature--the
assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after the winter.
--Rachel Carson
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As Sparky noted, "the foresters' attitude from the start was one o=
f "You can tell us the
value of this area but we are going to log where we want." Their
solution was always to send birders to other areas where these birds
could be found. The arrogance was obvious and unproductive to the goals
of the meeting." <br><br>The Minnesota birding community needs t=
o start working together on critical issues like this, because loggers and =
people who want to mine Minnesota and build wind farms and endless mazes of=
powerlines and make the Park Point airport bigger and develop ever more ha=
bitat are organized and powerful. We birders, on the other hand, have=
become a fragmented, factionalized lot, and when something important happe=
ns, divided we fall. I'm horribly sad about this, and feel guilty=
that I wasn't there, protesting and laying down in front of the "=
super axe-hackers" to stop them, protesting and getting the media invo=
lved. We can't go back and fix this--Owl Avenue is lost and it wi=
ll be decades before it's restored. But how about we at least &qu=
ot;Remember the Alamo" and use this horrible event to start all workin=
g together to save the best birding places? As friends and fellow-bir=
ders who all want to protect the birds we love, not as competitors or peopl=
e so concerned about appearing savvy and cool and wise that we grow ever mo=
re scared to speak out with knowledge and passion? Does every non-pro=
fit nature-related organization have to compete with every other one, or ca=
n we all move our sights from this circular firing range we've created =
and start focusing together on protecting birds and their habitat and worki=
ng together? It's the only way we'll ever start winning an oc=
casional battle.
<br>- <br>Laura Erickson<br>Duluth<br><br><br>There is symbolic as well as =
actual beauty in the migration of birds. There is something infi=
nitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature--the assurance that dawn =
comes after night, and spring after the winter.
<br><br>=09=09=09--Rachel Carson
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