Wednesday, February 07, 2007

Cleanse Cleanse Cleanse Cleanse

disapproval

I'm not regretting my previous post. It's been a good eight hours and I'm still okay with it.

cardinalis

I've been trying to analyze what set me off with this article. Was the smug photo? Was it the blatant disregard for the legalities of the situation? Was it that it was a cardinal? Was it because it was another stupid article in the mainstream media that was inaccurate about birds--was I blowing off steam? Was it hope that US Fish and Wildlife would actually use the Migratory Species Act to fine someone?

cardinal

I think it's frustration. Frustration that we can't design cell phone towers and windows in a way that is good for humans and safe for birds. Frustration with a growing apathy, a sense that there is nothing we can do, the problem is too big. What we need are all those budding architects, designers, engineers, ANYONE out there to pioneer designs that are safe for birds and economical. I don't even begin to know how to understand how this can be done but we need it.

cardfemale

So, all of you out there with kids and see any of them with any interest in those fields, please plant the seed now so we can use those growing brains to help birds. You don't have to be an ornithologist, author, blogger, bander, head of a large conservation organization, etc to help birds. You can be anyone with a great idea for design. We need you. We need you to help prevent this kind of thing from happening.

9 Comments:

Anonymous elizabird said...

Sweet.

2/08/2007 7:15 AM  
Blogger midnightbunny said...

No matter what the motivation was behind your post, I think your intentions were valid, and I support them 100%. The media has to be kept accountable for the stories they publish, and by focusing on that woman and her outright breach of sanctioned laws in her situation, they practically revered her for what she did. The public should not turn a blind eye, and I commend you for posting the information and making it available so that we can do our part in voicing our outrage. Kudos.

2/08/2007 9:07 AM  
Anonymous Laura Erickson said...

All the frustration about all these issues and more is why I spent three years and put my heart and soul into writing 101 Ways to Help Birds. It has a huge section about responsible ways people can deal with all kinds of backyard bird problems, from cardinals and robins bashing into windows to goose overpopulation. It also talks about communications towers, fences (the NUMBER ONE cause of mortality for prairie chickens!), highway mortality for owls and other birds, pesticides, and all sorts of issues. But the mainstream media, except Birding Business, hasn't offered a single review yet.

2/08/2007 10:22 AM  
Anonymous Birdfreak said...

All of us at Birdfreak support your views on this 100%. This is why I personally have dedicated all my efforts to promoting birds, conservation, and a healthy environment.

I am angry too, but your Cardinal pictures help. That biddy must have some sort of secret agenda or something... Why purposely draw that kind of attention?

Keep up the good work Birdchick!!

2/08/2007 10:23 AM  
Anonymous Cindy said...

I have tried *everything* when it comes to windowstrikes.. decals, dead branches, you name it. The only product that works is bird screens. I now have every window in my house covered in them. I buried one too many neotropical migrant, so up they went. Feather guards, hanging plants, etc plain don't work. Birdscreeens do. I haven't had a window strike since putting them up. Birds have enough to deal with out there and we continue to throw more obstacles in their way. They need all the help we can give them (and then some) because they ask for so little and give us SO much.

wwww.birdscreen.com

2/08/2007 2:57 PM  
Blogger Jochen said...

What's pissing me off is that you can ignore nature conservation laws and be regarded as a hero.
If I drove my car at 80 miles an hour through a residential area, would they present me on national TV as a freedom fighter?

2/08/2007 3:15 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

My husband is an architect who is vitally concerned with sustainable design, using environment friendly materials, green design principles, etc. Currently serving on national task force,a high level group of "outside the box" thinkers. Charged with the task of developing guidelines, legislation and leadership for same. There's hope. By the way, you might be encouraged if you
Check out the Philips Eco Center in MSP.
National Council of Architectural Review Boards (NCARB) actively pursuing this subject.
Caroline in SD

2/08/2007 6:08 PM  
Anonymous Randi Doeker said...

Apparently I'm the person who brought the article to the attention of USFWS legal, which just means I've been outraged longer than others; I'm still screaming mad.

The Feds need public outrage to support their enforcement actions. Send letters to them and to Newsweek. Blog comments are fine but won't help the FWS lawyers deal with the "she's a grandma" PR.

For the person with a spouse working on sustainable archtecture, check out www.birdsandbuildings.org and www.windowcollisions.info .

2/09/2007 10:52 AM  
Blogger Susan Gets Native said...

As far as planting the seed for our future eco-engineers, I have two little girl-sprouts who are well on their way to changing the world.
But they are so young...I hope the world has a place for them when they are grown!
It really doesn't matter what your motivation was for posting about this dumb-ass granny. The news needed to be spread.

2/09/2007 9:53 PM  

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