Passenger Pigeons, Extinct
It’s nice to think that things we value last forever but it
isn’t always so. Case in point – the Passenger Pigeon. The New Jersey State
Museum in Trenton is paying homage to the bird. Through June 27, 2015, it
commemorates the 100th anniversary of the death of Martha, the very last
passenger pigeon in the world, who died on September 1st, 1914.
The birds once numbered in the billions but within a few
decades became extinct. They were over-hunted and their forest nesting areas were
decimated for agriculture. It’s ironic that the largest bird population in the
world came down to zero, because of us.
Yes, we humans have needs – for housing, for sustenance, for
reproduction. But so do other creatures. Should our needs always supersede
those of others? We’re smart, surely we can figure out how to live within
nature rather than decimating nature.
We can ask this about people, too. Can we respect all life,
even if it is dissimilar to our own? Can we make room for those who look different
from us, who hold various opinions, who have other beliefs? Or are we destined
to be passenger pigeons, extinct by our own hands?
Facts about the Passenger Pigeon:
A state-by-state look at the Passenger Pigeon:
Go see the exhibit for yourself!
http://www.state.nj.us/state/museum/dos_museum_exhibit-pigeon.html
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