A few interesting Natural History articles
May 12th, 2006 by lvbirders
Early this morning, while browsing the web, I came across these Natural History articles and thought I’d share them here:
1. California sees fewest butterflies in 40 years; Wet spring adds to habitat, warming impacts on ‘ecological thermostat’.
Along those same lines this article- Experts: Polar Bears, hippos on extinction path; Global survey also warns of overfishing, decline in wetlands.
2. Ancient die-off blamed on climate, not humans: Mammoths and other large animals failed to adapt to changes, study finds.
3. Elk overrun Rocky Mountain National Park: Park Service weighs options, including a controversial hunt.
Josh and I enjoy reading articles such as these and learn alot from them. We become much more aware of the world around us and the part we play in it. I saw how this can help in our raising a young man who is not only aware of his world, but also concerned about it, just the other day. After church on Sunday, Josh, his dad, and I went to bird an area that has recently been re-opened. This is a picnic area that is maintained by the BLM because it is on land owned by them and is adjacent to Red Rock Natural Conservation Area here in Las Vegas. A few years ago they had to close this area as it had been vandalized and misused to an extent that is was no longer safe. There was talk that it would be closed permanently. They decided though, in the end, to try and reclaim it and did a tremendous amount of work. It recently re-opened with a beautiful boardwalk that meanders through a meadow, across desert and back to a spring. There are signs thanking people for staying ON the boardwalk to protect the habitat. That Sunday morning more than a few people totally disregarded the signs. Josh was aghast and more than a little angry. As we talked, we helped him come to the realization that these people had probably not been educated in these things and how important it is to show people by your own actions.
Reading articles such as those I listed above are just one way our family continues to “educate” ourselves so that our actions can be ones that are helpful, not harmful, to this beautiful world of ours.
What a great reaction for Josh to have, very much like my Superboy would. The level of stupidity never ceases to amaze me. Whe had gone to Cades Cove in the Smoky Mtns NP to camp a while back during winter. There is a lot of deer in the area, some of them pretty acclimated to people, so they come close. Superboy as well as the rest of us, was agahst at a boy feeding marshmellows to the deer. The parents next to him laughing, apparently uncapable to think the damage this does to the animal.
We live next to this beautiful park (SMNP), the most visited national Park in the US and constantly see people doing actions that are just plain selfish: from picking flowers, mushrooms, etc, to intrusive behavior toward wildlife, to going offtrail and erroding soils. Ugh.
Glad to hear that Josh feels strongly as he did. You are doing a great job to instil that sense of what is just and what is worng. Kudos to you.
Ed
Ed, We have the same problem with wild burro in Red Rock. They are so used to people they will come right up to you and people do not use the sense God gave them in dealing with these WILD animals. Kudos right back to you. Sounds like we both have boys who DO have and use the sense God gave them and whose parents continue to guide.