Earth Day 2012

小翠騰展
Originally uploaded by John&Fish

Happy Earth Day!

This is a photo of a River Kingfisher taken by John&Fish. I happen to think he is one of the best bird photographers at Flickr. I am posting this in honor of Earth Day. We are going to hear both sad and happy news about Mamma Gaia today, and I offer these photos as something to inspire you to formulate your own plans on how to best protect the future of our planet.

Happy Spring to you and yours,

Sia

小翠騰展

翠鳥．攝於台灣 台北外雙溪
River Kingfisher, taken at Waishuanghsi, Taipei, TAIWAN

Saving Oiled Wildlife in the Gulf: Groups on The Ground

Here is an interesting video from the International Bird Rescue Research Center called Oiled Bird Gets A Bath.



Wildlife rescue folks are working in tough conditions out there and it's just going to get worse. Please give them your support.

Recommended Reading:

How You Can Help Birds After the Spill

Oceans 9/11 by Julie Packard, Executive Director of the Monterey Bay Aquarium

Go well, stay well,

Sia

Related Articles:

Details on the baby sea turtle rescue (with photos)

Links:

Tri State Bird Rescue and Research has been rescuing and treating oiled, injured, and orphaned wildlife since 1976. Specializing in oil spill response, Tri-State staff is on call 24-hours-a-day to address the wildlife impact of these environmental threats. They also provide training to other emergency response professionals.

Website

International Bird Rescue Research Center The International Bird Rescue Research Center (IBRRC) has been helping birds around the world since 1971. Its mission is to mitigate human impact on aquatic birds and other wildlife. This is achieved through rehabilitation, emergency response, education, research, planning and training.

With an oil spill response team of more than 25 wildlife experts, IBRRC has managed the oiled bird rehabilitation efforts in over 200 oil spills in 11 states, including the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska. Our international work has taken us to seven different countries and two U.S. territories.

Website

Facebook page

IBRRC photo stream on Flickr

Oiled Care Network The OWCN is the world's only oiled wildlife response organization boasting more than 25 different members comprised of world-class aquaria, universities, scientific organizations and rehabilitation groups. Established in 1994 by the Department of Fish and Game’s Office of Spill Prevention and Response (OSPR) as a result of the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska, it is currently administered by the UC Davis Wildlife Health Center in the School of Veterinary Medicine.

Blog

Facebook page


Photo: Courtesy of International Bird Research & Rescue gulf oil spill photo page on flickr.

Lorraine Margeson: Gulf Coast Activist

This someone you should know: Lorraine Margeson, Tampa Bay's best known environment activist; a woman working on the forefront of the gulf oil spill. Her story is compelling because she is not wailing or wringing her hands, she is not standing around feeling depressed or helpless about all this nor is she ranting on net about how bad it all is without doing a thing herself. Instead, she does what I think any one of us can do; she does the good that's in front of her:

She and her husband built a three-story house with a bird-watching deck on the roof. They replaced plants from foreign lands with native vegetation. They joined Audubon, they joined Sierra, they became friends of whatever park needed them. On her block, she persuaded neighbors to stop killing rattlesnakes.

She and her husband have a computer hardware business. They would rather watch birds. They count robins. They see hummingbirds and cedar waxwings and the occasional rose-breasted grosbeak. They drive over to Fort De Soto to look at the warblers in the mulberry tree. Then they head for the beach, where Lorraine picks up trash and snarls at "idiots" who get too close to the endangered least terns that nest on the sand. She watches black skimmers. She never tires of watching the pelicans.

And now there's oil in her gulf. And it may end up here, on Lorraine's beach, where it might hurt Lorraine's birds.

So that's why she's on the phone today. That's why she is on the computer. She is networking with other people, leading their next move.

You can read the rest of her story here at Tampabay.com

Brava!

Sia

More oil spill & environmental news can be found at BirdGarden

Updates: Wildlife Rescue at the Gulf Oil Spill

Folks, I've been working behind the scenes for the last two weeks, doing my small bit to get volunteers, tech and supplies out to various bird and wildlife rescue groups out in the gulf and getting networking and other info out there. As tragic as this is, it is also a teachable moment and could well change how we think about offshore drilling, clean energy and climate change. Fingers crossed.

Blogging takes a backseat for now, but you can go to my newsfeed at BirdGarden for updates on the efforts to help the wild birds, marine life and people caught up in this disaster. I'll keep updating info on who needs what. Meanwhile: Here is a list of 10 Things You Can Do To Help



Many of you know that I'm involved with wildlife and companion animal rescue. I'm on standby via Audubon as are 11,000 other volunteers. I will fly out to the gulf if called and if our elder's health allows for my absence. The volunteers at International Bird Rescue Research Center are on the scene, rescuing birds as we speak, along with other great groups. I'm following all of these and posting updates, photos and videos as they come in.

600 species are affected by this, including 445 species of fish, 134 birds, 45 mammals, and 32 reptiles and amphibians. Many, like the brown pelican and the loggerhead turtle, are endangered already.

I think that Rachael Maddow said it for a lot of us the other night when she described how the BP oil spill is "an environmental, economic and human catastrophy".

Go well, stay well,

Sia

P.S. For you Pet Lovers: The Nashville Humane Society desperately needs funds and supplies to help dogs, cats and other animals caught in the Tennessee floods.

It's kitten season and every shelter in the U.S. needs foster homes, food, and basic supplies like paper towels and kitten food. Please help where and how you can.

Related Articles:

Scientific American: Extinction Countdown: Oil Spill Threatens Endangered Species at a Critical Time.

Oil Spill Update: Volunteers Needed & Animal Hotline

Right now, 42,000 gallons of oil is leaking into the gulf every day. Update: It has tripled in size and the protective booms are failing.

Help is needed.

ANIMAL HOTLINE: an emergency phone number (866-557-1401) has been established where people can report animals affected by the oil spill. The public is encouraged to have ready the number and type of animals, the date and time they were seen, their location and any observations about the animals' behavior.

CNN reports that these groups need volunteers.

Efforts to minimize the damage from the huge oil spill from last week's rig explosion in the Gulf of Mexico are under way, but wildlife conservation groups say the oil could pose a disaster for Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida coastal areas.

How can you help? A number of organizations are recruiting volunteers.

The Audubon Society, which is affiliated with the Louisiana Coastal Initiative, is making its Center for Birds of Prey in Florida available for bird cleansing and rehabilitation. Elsewhere, Audubon said it was gearing up to mobilize volunteers and provide assistance as the oil reaches land in Louisiana and elsewhere.

The Deep Water Horizon response team is looking for help in identifying shoreline and animals affected. Oiled wildlife should not be captured but instead reported at 1-866-557-1401. To report areas with oil ashore or to leave contact information to volunteer in the affected areas, call 1-866-448-5816.

These local organizations also are gathering volunteers' information as they prepare for the environmental damage this oil can cause:

The Alabama Coastal Foundation is collecting contact information from volunteers for cleanup efforts along the Alabama coast should the oil spill reach the state's shores. Call 251-990-6002

The Mobile Bay National Estuary Program is looking for volunteers to help reduce the potential impact of the oil spill in Mobile Bay. Call 251-431-6409.

The Mobile Baykeeper is asking for contact details of volunteers is collecting contact information for volunteers to respond anywhere along the Gulf Coast, if needed. Call 251-433-4229.

Save Our Seabirds is a Florida bird rescue group that is looking for volunteers and support as its response team prepares to help oiled wildlife. Call 941-388-3010.

To that I would also suggest that donations be sent to:

International Bird Rescue & Research Center. These wildlife rescue experts are on the ground as we speak. You can also donate to those organizations listed above.

Discovery notes that

...wildlife experts from across the country are traveling to Louisiana and other states to handle cleanup of Gulf oil spill animal victims, frustration and fear remain over the organization and predicted cost of the rescue efforts, as well as the projected long-term scope of the damage.

..."the actual cost of collecting and caring for oiled sea otters is about $4,000-$5,000 and marine birds $600-$750 each

Again, members of the public cannot and should not go out and try and rescue animals on their own. Wildlife rescue volunteers undergo hazardous waste operations training before they can work with oil-affected animals. This is for their own safety as well as that of the wildlife effected.

There are lots of other ways you can help - check out the links listed above.

Oil & Gas magazine says this about the environmental impact:

The Gulf region contains about five million acres of wetlands, which are an essential habitat for three quarters of all of the migrating waterfowl that cross the US.

There are more than 3300 marine species in the Gulf, including six endangered species of whale. Its shores include the only known nesting beach of Kemp’s Ridley, the world’s most endangered sea turtle. There are also populations of protected Hawksbill, Loggerhead and Leatherback turtles, which are about to begin their nesting season and would be particularly vulnerable to oil washed up on beaches.

There are several shark species declared to be "of concern" because of declining populations. The Gulf is also home to one of the world’s largest populations of bottlenose dolphins, with an estimated 45,000 in its waters.

I recommend going to these groups directly as BP is slow in training and using volunteers, nevertheless:

BP and the federal government have established a hotline for volunteers. Please call 1-866-448-5816. We anticipate that there will an ongoing need for volunteers in the environmental cleanup effort. If you want to register your desire to help and receive updates click here.

For up to date information go here: http://www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com

Animal Groups will be using the lessons learned from The Exon Valdeze Oil Spill in Alaska.

Discovery News reminds us that rescuing, handling and cleaning animals covered in oil is a difficult and dangerous process and should only be done by those trained in this work.

There are lots of ways you can help: Get the word out, donate funds (no matter how small), and supplies (check websites to see what these groups need), sign petitions for clean energy and let your voice be heard at the local and federal level.

I will continue to post updates several times a day on Twitter at Birdgarden. (You don't need to be signed in on Twitter to read these, just click on the link or read them from the Twitter feed in the right column at the Full Circle blog)

Sia

Related Articles:

from BIRDERS MAGAZINE: Gulf Coast Oil Spill: What You Can Do To Help

Updated 5/3/2010

Rescue Me: Birds, Fish & Other Wildlife Threatened by the Gulf Oil Spill

Today my thoughts are with the wildlife rescue volunteers at International Bird Rescue Research Center and other groups as they get ready for the call that everyone dreads.

IBRRC's site announced that:

As of today the spill is still over 30 miles offshore. That is good for coastal birds but it all depends what happens with the winds and currents. There are trajectories that show that if the certain conditions occur then some of the oil could impact coastal areas anywhere from Louisiana to Florida. See: Oil Spill Expanding, May Reach Gulf Coast

If the spill stays offshore then the impact will likely be minimal to birds. Coastal birds that are highly at risk if the spill hits shore are brown and white pelicans, terns, gulls, shorebirds, skimmers and herons. Nesting and feeding areas for birds and sea turtles such as marshes and beaches could be impacted.

Update: Their emergency response team has been activated

Hotline for volunteers:

IBRRC has been receiving many calls from people wishing to volunteer to help at the Gulf Oil Spill. Although our team has been activated, anyone wishing to help must contact the local Community and Volunteer Hotline at 1 866-448-5816.

To report oiled wildlife affected by the Gulf oil spill please call the Wildlife reporting hotline at 1 866-557-1401.

Thank you,
The IBRRC Team

Twitter: @IBRRC
You can also follow their work on Facebook

What's At Stake:

A press release for the National Audubon Society says that:

"For birds, the timing could not be worse; they are breeding, nesting and especially vulnerable in many of the places where the oil could come ashore."

Sensitive coastal areas of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida are all potential targets of the growing spill. "The efforts to stop the oil before it reaches shore are heroic, but may not be enough," added Driscoll. "We have to hope for the best, but prepare for the worst, including a true catastrophe for birds."

In Florida, Audubon is recruiting volunteers and making its Center for Birds of Prey available for bird cleansing and rehabilitation. Elsewhere, the organization is gearing up to help mobilize volunteers and provide other assistance in the event the oil reaches sensitive shorelines.

Blue Fin tuna and other ocean creatures are also at great risk as is tourism, and thus jobs, in the states affected.

The Live Science website looks at Clean Up Tech and warns that

Responders will have their hands full...As the Deepwater Horizon cleanup effort is demonstrating, many of the current methods of cleaning up oil spills are decidedly low-tech.

A Greenpeace activist reminds us that:

The phrase “oil spill clean up” is an oxymoron. In most cases, the lion’s share of spilled oil is not removed from the environment, it is dispersed, diluted, burned, or it sinks in globs, or it is left behind in one form or another to wreak havoc on the environment for years to come...Regardless of where the fault lies with the Deepwater Horizon — BP, TransOcean, or some other entity — people who have lost loved ones or their livelihoods because of the spill will have to fight a long, uphill battle for recompense and justice.

On a related note, just last year BP and TransOcean aggressively opposed new safety regulations proposed by the Minerals Management Service, the federal agency that oversees offshore drilling. The impetus for MMS’s new regulations was a study that found numerous accidents occurring in the industry.

This is bad, folks. Offer help, supplies and donations where and how you can.

Sia


Related Articles:

600-Plus Species At Risk

Oil Spill FAQ

Oil Composition & Chemicals and the Effects on Wildlife

Other websites:

Deep Water Horizon Response
Updates on coordinated efforts.

Note:

Volunteer.org has a sign up sheet for general volunteers.

Painting: Brown Pelican by Judith Vivell. You can view her art gallery at her website.

The endangered Brown Pelican is that state bird of Louisiana and is at great risk from this spill.

T'was Ever Thus OR Hey, Baby!

Today I would like to share this enlightening note from Sex and the Dark-eyed Junco care of the National Wildlife Federation. (1)

A team of scientists ...have discovered that males with higher levels of testosterone—no matter what their age—are irresistible mates for older, more experienced females. They also produce more offspring.

But there’s a catch: The scientists also discovered that these these testosterone-pumped studs are not particularly good fathers, and their offspring are born smaller and die at higher rates. The hormonally charged birds are so eager to show off and chase after new partners that they don’t visit or bring food to their nests as often as their less popular rivals.

In an earlier study, Ketterson found that the über-juncos tend to die at a younger age. Not only does elevated testosterone make them less wary of predators, it also increases their stress levels...

There is only so much time and energy available in a given day, notes Ketterson, and evolution requires making some tough choices. “If you’re a male junco,” she asks, “do you maximize the time you spend chasing partners or do you maximize the time you spend parenting?”

To quote a gentleman of my acquaintance, "I could not possibly comment".

Tell Me You're Kidding

Humans seem cruel enough for anything but finch fighting? Really? Most of the men involved were from Brazil where finch fighting has been banned for decades. I believe in the rule of law but don't you just wish we could throw these folks in the Thunderdome and see how they like it?

Congratulations to the town firefighters who discovered this obscene set up.

Lest we take this too lightly, Annie Harnett at Change.org reminds us of the well known link between animal abuse and child abuse.

Ancient Egg Shells Yield DNA

In other bird news, scientists think they have found a way to extract DNA from ancient egg shells. This means that elephant bird Aepyornis, the heaviest bird in existence (no surprise that design didn't last), may be coming to a zoo near you in, say, 2040. Sadly, by then the kids will be asking, "Mommy, what's a tiger?"

Sia

Art: Found at a useful article for birders titled Do You Know Your Dark Eyed Juncos? from the Birding in Sonoma County blog.

Endnotes

(1) Adapted from "The High Price of Being a Hunk" by David Lukas, National Wildlife, February/March 2009.

Related Articles:

Finch Fighting

Praise for the new Sibley Guide to Trees

"Trees," he said, "are things that everyone sees every day."

David Sibley, author of the well loved and easy to use Sibley guides to birds and birding, now offers us a way to easily identify the trees in our very own habitat.

..."he thought he could produce something more user-friendly than the existing guides whose methodology for tree identification involves a lengthy, frustrating sorting process... " "If you're out in the park and you notice from 100 feet away a tree with unusual flowers or an odd leaf shape or interesting bark, these books require you to walk up to the tree, take a twig in your hand and go through a series of steps," said Mr. Sibley. "It's at least five minutes until you come up with an answer. And immediately you lose sight of the whole tree and you lose sight of what attracted your attention in the first place. Taking a step back and looking at the whole tree, then looking at a few more trees and flipping through the pages of my book, you quickly start to see that all the maples have similarly shaped leaves and fruit and that all the oaks have acorns."

All the time Mr. Sibley was focused on trees, he kept his core constituency—birdwatchers—in mind. "I wanted to produce a guide you could use if you were looking through binoculars to a bird at the top of a tree, and you wanted to turn your attention to the tree without moving your binoculars."

From a review of the new The Sibley Guide to Trees. Article titled David Sibley's Habitat by Joanne Kaufman writing for the Wall Street Journal.

It goes on my wish list.

Sia

Art: Green Oak Leaf (Arts and Crafts style) tile by Carreaux Du Nord. You can see more of their work or buy their tiles at their website.

Consider the Crow: Myths and Real Life Stories About A Very Smart Bird

This just in from the NY Times Review of Books

Did you know that crows recognize human faces? To prove this... a researcher at the University of Washington conducted an experiment. Volunteers who had captured and banded crows (something crows resent) while wearing caveman masks were cawed at and dive-bombed whenever they re-entered crow precincts...

Affectingly, Haupt describes “crow funerals” in which a “stillness” settles around a deceased bird as other crows “cluster about the crow in perfect silence,” and records evidence of crows at play — basking in the sun, “sprawled on one side with their wings hanging open . . . like black-feathered Madame Bovarys” or catching falling cherry blossoms.

The book in question is Crow Planet: Essential Wisdom from the Urban Wilderness by Lyanda Lynn Haupt


Crow Myths and Stories:

Crows appears in the myths and stories of any culture where they make their home.
What do the stories from your ancestral culture say about crows?

Charlotte Kuchinsky writes that "Egyptians, Romans and Arabs respected the power of these birds" and that the Irish believed they possessed second sight, while Ljubica Gojg in an article on crow myths for the Post-Gazette notes that:

A romantic soul couldn't hope for anything better than seeing a crow, because it means the heart's wishes will be fulfilled.

He also points out that

Crows have long been associated with death in many cultures, because they often could be found feeding on animal and human remains at battlefields or cemeteries.

and reminds us that

Many American Indian tribes saw the crow as a wise adviser and the spirit of wisdom and the law.

The Norse god Odin used two crows -- Hugin and Munin, representing thought and memory -- as his daily observers of the world.

And members of the American Society of Crows and Ravens, founded in 1982, like to quote American writer and abolitionist Henry Ward Beecher, who said:

"If men had wings and bore black feathers, few of them would be clever enough to be crows."

Indeed. I've worked with them. They are amazing birds, and yes, as the video shows, they make their own tools. The ancient Greeks respected their abilities. If you enjoy Greek myths you might want to check out this entry on the intelligence of crows and the ancient story of The Crow and the Pitcher.

Enjoy,

Sia




Video: Crow Makes Tools found embedded within this very interesting article titled: American Crow: Consummate Opportunist by Robert Rice

Related Links:

Information on the American Crow from the All About Birds guide published by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology - great videos and recordings.

For the love of crows

Art:

Triple Crow Celtic Knot by Mike Sexton - you can buy a print here.

Wildlife Migration Begins

Goodbye little Ruby-throat. Good luck,

The National Wildlife Federation reminds us many different species of birds will now begin their fall migration.

Songbirds, waterfowl, raptors and hummingbirds travel north and south each year, some as far as the tropics. Caribou and pronghorn shift their range based on the season to ensure access to food. Even insects such as monarch butterflies and green darner dragonflies travel great distances to survive the oncoming winter.

One of the greatest things about fall migration is that it offers some pretty awesome wildlife watching opportunities. Get outside this fall and see what migratory species you can spot. You can report your sightings on National Wildlife Federation’s Wildlife Watch website, on Twitter or even using your iPhone.

Hummingbird lovers should check out the video at that same page.

Sia

Photo: from National Geographic website

Related Articles:

Spirit Bird

Some Special Bird Photos for Earth Day

Happy Earth Day!

These are photos of a River Kingfisher and a Vivid Niltava. Both are taken by John&Fish, who are actually a brother and sister living in Taiwan. These two people are some of my favorite bird photographers at Flickr. You can see more of their work here.

I am posting their photos in honor of Earth Day. We are all going to hear both sad and happy news about the planet today and I'd like to offer these photos as both hope and inspiration.

Today especially, many people are thinking about how to best protect Mamma Gaia and her creatures. I salute all those working towards that end, in ways both big and small.

Happy Spring to you and yours,

Sia

Related Articles:

Rescuing Orphaned Wildlife

Is Environmentalism Our New Religion?

Gray Cranes and the Hula Valley

Three Sisters: For the Love of Trees

Saving What We Can: Eco-justice and Spiritual Practice

It's Personal: One Pagan's Views on the Environment

Ethics, the Ecology and Gold

Charles Darwin and the Tree of Life

Fire Season

Want a Job? How About Saving the Planet?

Gaia's Guardians

Feeding Wildlife In Winter

By now, most of our song birds have flown south. The Canada geese cross the sky, coming and going in great flocks, calling to one another as they fly under red and pink clouds at sunset, and leaving those of us rooted here on the ground gazing up in wonder. Last night Long Moon rose clear and bright, promising frost and firece winds to come. Here on our mountain the snow is late in arriving but a winter storm is dancing offshore, and she's bringing the party to us. Now, we wait. (1)

Feeding Wildlife In Winter:

As the cold and dark increase, I change my seed and put up different kinds of feeders, especially suet, keeping in mind that there is a right way and a wrong way to feed wildlife in winter:

In its handbook Wild Neighbors: The Humane Approach to Living with Wildlife, the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) notes that the question of feeding wildlife has curious wrinkles. A multimillion-dollar industry surrounds the feeding of wild birds, for instance, even as many cities prohibit the feeding of pigeons, ducks, and geese, animals that thrive in the presence of humans and their castoff food. The HSUS offers a broad criterion for deciding what animals to feed: “Wild animals,” it warns, “should not be fed when the consequence of feeding could cause them harm.”

That harm can be of many sorts. When confined to a single food source such as a feeding station, congregating animals are susceptible to disease just as humans are in close quarters; moldy and wet food can also cause illness. HSUS guidelines recommend that feeders for ground-feeding birds be rinsed every two days in a 5–10 percent solution of chlorine bleach and warm water for two or three minutes and then scrubbed clean.

Climate Change and Migration.

Climate change is changing the migration of birds all over the world, including Oregon where we live.

Just outside of Portland is a wonderful haven for geese and other waterfowl and we take great delight in visiting these. Some of these birds have not been seen here in years past:

As the weather has cooled and the days shortened, many birds that nest in Oregon and Washington have moved on.

Warblers, tanagers, flycatchers, and other insect-eating birds are now in Central and South America. The concept of birds flying south for the winter is a familiar one but for many birds that nest in the high arctic, the Pacific Northwest IS south. With the arrival of cooler, wetter days come approximately 250,000 geese that spend the winter months in the Willamette Valley.

While the area has always hosted wintering populations of geese, in recent decades many birds that used to winter in central California have shifted their range northward into the Willamette Valley. Large flocks of geese can be found in fields, wetlands, and urban duck ponds from October through April, providing fun viewing for wildlife watchers and hardcore birders alike.

The vast majority of birds in the winter flocks are Cackling Geese, followed in abundance by Canada Geese, Snow Geese, Greater White-fronted Geese, and the occasional Ross’s Goose, Brant, and Emperor Goose.

Oak and Acorns:

Meanwhile, naturalists are asking, "Why are the squirrels starving from lack of acorns?"

For parents and teachers:

Information on the Canada goose, with worksheets and coloring pages from KidZone.

Enjoy,

Sia

Endnotes:

(1) As urban folks, we've had a steep learning curve when it comes to living here in real weather, but our neighbors give us good advice. We've added extra blankets in the igloos for the feral cats we have not yet trapped and re-homed as barn cats. We put on the snow tires on the four-wheel drive, and hauled out the Columbia coats; after two winters here I now a big fan of those coats. The winter boots are waiting in the mud room and we have candles and food and enough supplies to last a week without power at need. Our home is as ready and warm as we can make it.

Photo: Black capped Chicadee found at New England Wildlife Treasures website.

Rescuing Orphaned Wildlife

This video offers us a lovely view of the work done by a group called Yggdrasil Urban Wildlife Rescue. Yggdrasil, as Nordic Pagans know, means world tree. In this video you'll will see photos of Yggdrasil volunteers caring for young and orphaned wildlife, including "pinkies", very young squirrels that few people ever get to see. My Green Witches' hat is off to these good folks in Oakland, California for their compassion and dedication.

There may well be an urban wildlife rescue center where you live. Such groups can always use supplies like paper towels and toilet paper, and they would love to get gift cards (no amount too small) from certain stores. Most wildlife rescue groups have a website that includes a Wish List. You don't have to give a lot to lend a hand.

They can also use volunteers, and will train you to work with the young birds and animals in their care. If you don't want to work in the shelter, why not offer to help out in the office? Most of these places are open 7 days and week and need help all hours of the day - why not offer a bit of support to Mamma Gaia and her creatures?

Do a Google search under "wildlife rescue" + your town and find a special place like this near you. Also check out your local Audubon chapter. Here in Portland, Oregon, much of this work is done at the local Audubon Wildcare Center, and they offer wonderful guided hikes and day trips, as well.

And if you like the ocean, check out groups that handle marine mammal rescue.

All good things,

Sia

Links:

What to do if you find a baby bird

What to do if you find a baby mammal

Gaia's Guardians

Yggdrasil Urban Wildlife Rescue Homepage

Related Articles

Caring for Each Other, We Care For The Earth

Alex the Parrot Passes On But Leaves Us Wiser

Alex
1976 - 2007

Live Science reports that "Alex the African grey parrot is dead, and all across the country anthropologists and psychologists are dressing in black.

The article goes on to say that "Alex was best known to the public as the amazing talking parrot. Way beyond "Polly want a cracker," this bird knew more than 100 words and could hold a decent conversation.

Scientists in particular mourn his passing, not just because Alex was an excellent linguist, but also because he rattled our cage....for a long time, the chimp language people thought their animals were pretty special. But then came Alex."

The Daily Galaxy notes that "Pepperberg wrote that Alex's intelligence was on par with that of dolphins and great apes. She also reported that Alex had the intelligence of a five-year-old human and had not reached his full potential by the time he died...."The work revolutionized the way we think of bird brains," said Diana Reiss, a psychologist at Hunter College who works with dolphins and elephants. "That used to be a pejorative, but now we look at those brains — at least Alex's — with some awe."

As an animal activist I believe that Alex has taught us another important lesson: That it is morally wrong and outrageously cruel to take such intelligent, long lived birds and lock them in cages without appropriate companionship or stimulus. Too often we treat them like decorations and pretty toys and they can go quite literally insane with such treatment. Below you will find a link to parrot rescue groups. If you wish to "own" a parrot, please consider adopting one in need. For more on this issue, read the article titled Bird Brains and Animal Rights

Alex's death on September 14th was so important, it was reported in the The New York Times . The online report offers a YouTube video of Alex at work and notes that "Alex was the subject of 30 years of experiments challenging the most basic assumptions about animal intelligence."

A link for other YouTube videos can be found below.

The press release from the Alex Foundation says this:

Over the course of 30 years of research, Dr. Pepperberg and Alex revolutionized the notions of how birds think and communicate. What Alex taught Dr. Pepperberg about cognition and communication has been applied to therapies to help children with learning disabilities. Alex’s learning process is based on the rival-model technique in which two humans demonstrate to the bird what is to be learned. Alex and Dr. Pepperberg have been affiliated with Purdue University, Northwestern University, the University of Arizona, the MIT Media Lab, the Radcliffe Institute, and most recently, Harvard University and Brandeis University.

Alex has been featured worldwide on numerous science programs including the BBC, NHK, Discovery and PBS. He is well known for his interactions with Alan Alda in an episode of Scientific American Frontiers on PBS and from an episode of the famed PBS Nature series called “Look Who’s Talking.” Reports on Alex’s accomplishments have appeared in the popular press and international news from USA Today to the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times. The Science Times section of the New York Times featured Alex in a front-page story in 1999. That same year, Dr. Pepperberg published The Alex Studies, a comprehensive review of her decades of learning about learning from Alex. Many other television appearances and newspaper articles followed....

Alex has left a significant legacy—not only have he and Dr. Pepperberg and their landmark experiments in modern comparative psychology changed our views of the capabilities of avian minds, but they have forever changed our perception of the term “bird brains.”

If you choose to help support this research, please consider making a donation in Alex's memory to The Alex Foundation, c/o Dr. Irene Pepperberg, Department of Psychology/MS-062, 415 South Street, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02454.

Thank you, Alex, and thank you Dr. Pepperberg.

Sia

Off the Shelf:

Drawing the Line: Science and the Case for Animal Rights
From Publisher's Weekly: Whether or not one accepts Wise's premise that certain animal species meet the law's criteria for personhood, his book is a fascinating examination of animal behavior and intelligence. Crammed with data, case studies and reports from the field, it engages the reader in a thoughtful debate about the place of animals in a world dominated by humans. Not only does Wise (Rattling the Cage) know how to build a logical argument for legal rights for some animals, he also knows how to tell a good story. From early morning forays in Ugandan mountain forests, where he observes the complex behavior and social structure of chimpanzees, to the MIT Media Lab, where he chronicles the astounding mental agility of its resident parrot-scholar, Alex, Wise strengthens his case and intrigues the reader with his tales.

Links:

Hundreds of clever, loving parrots and other birds are abandoned and in need of good homes. Here is a link to parrot rescue information and groups in your area.

That Damn Bird: A YouTube Video Interview with Dr. Irene Pepperberg

The Alex Foundation Homepage

YouTube Videos featuring Alex

Alex RIP Video

Updated 9/20/

Spirit Bird

This little being is a Refous Hummingbird.

I see one through my kitchen window most mornings. They love the brightly colorful fuchsias in the hanging pots out on our deck. When I walk outside I find them dancing through the hummingbird plants in our garden and they like to dart, shimmering and thrumming, through the mist of my garden hose when I water my plants.

Hummingbird World notes that the hummingbird is a common totem animal and points out that the bird has a powerful religious and spiritual significance in many cultures.

A website called Art from Tribe contains some stunning images of animals and birds created by modern artists. These images are made in the style of the Northwest tribes, also known as Haida art. Here the hummingbird symbolizes love, beauty, and friendship. It is also believed to be a spirit messenger. (1)

The site also says that the hummingbird is:

...a literal messenger of joy, this beautiful tiny bird...represents friendship, playfulness, and is a symbol of good luck in Northwest Coastal Native art. It is a positive sign to see Sah Sen (hummingbird) prior to a major event such a hunting or traveling to another village. Hummingbird's ability to hover back and fourth at great speeds is believed to be a skill for guiding the people; if they fall behind Hummingbird can easily back up to keep pace.

Ted Andrews, author of Animal Speak, writes that

Hummingbirds inspire us to protect the environment and to preserve old traditions that are in danger of being lost.

Operation Rubythroat uses the power of kids, science and hummingbirds to spread a message of cooperation and understanding between cultures. Nice.

The Spanish saw them for the first time when they landed in North America. They called them Joyas voladoras or flying jewels. Jamie Sams writes that

...the hummingbird teaches us to laugh and enjoy the creation, to appreciate the magic of being alive, and the truth of beauty.

A Mayan legend says that the Hummingbird is the sun in disguise. Who am I to argue?

The sunlight speaks. And it's voice is a bird:

It glitters half-guessed half seen half-heard

Above the flower bed. Over the lawn ...

A flashing dip and it is gone.

And all it lends to the eye is this --

A sunbeam giving the air a kiss.

Blessed Solstice to you and yours,

Sia

Poem: The Hummingbird by Harry Kemp

Off the Shelf:

Children

The Hummingbirds' Gift by Stefan Czernecki and Timothy Rhodes

Illustrated by Stefan Czernecki, with straw weavings by Juliana Reyes de Silva and Juan Hilario Silva. Endpapers feature flat straw weavings of animals, mermaids, and dancing human skeletons hand-woven by Mexicans of Tarascan Indian descent. The story, which tells of the origin of these traditional weavings, is set in a Mexican village and illustrated both with bright paintings and with the woven figures. The story begins during a severe drought in the village of Tzintzuntzan, the Tarascan Indian word that means "the place of the hummingbirds." A farmer and his wife watch their crops dry up and fear for the lives of the beautiful hummingbirds who frequent their garden.

Adults

Animal Speak by Ted Andrews

Other Council Fires Were Here Before Ours by Jamie Sams

Medicine Cards by Jamie Sams

End Notes:

1. They certainly love to fly around me when I meditate. I try to listen to hummingbird, especially when She appears to me at odd times or places.

There are a number of sites on the web that talk about hummingbird's message and medicine. My advice is to take these not as dogma, but as a guide. After all, it's your messenger, and your message - it's up to you to figure it out.

Every culture that has hummingbirds also has wonderful stories and myths about them. I also suggest that you read the myths from many cultures but if you are looking for messages or personal wisdom, I recommend that you pay particular attention to the bird myths from your own heritage and from the area where you currently live.

Hummingbird Lesson Plans:

Hummingbird Science Lesson Plan for Teachers - Grades 3 - 6

Hummingbird Facts & Notes About Their Important Place In Our Ecosystem:

Hummingbird Facts

More Hummingbird Facts