The Footprints We Leave

The Footprints We Leave

It snowed a little over the weekend. Not a lot, just a couple of inches, but enough for anyone walking by to leave footprints. Our patio had a host of prints, evidence of the wildlife that frequents our backyard. I was able to identify rabbit prints, gray squirrel prints, a bunch of junco tracks and assorted other bird prints. Chipmunks are holed up for the cold winter months, which is why I didn’t see any of those. They hibernate inside their burrows but will awaken periodically to munch on stored nuts and seeds. I don’t think I saw any skunk tracks (at least I hope not) though I know there are several in the neighborhood. I read that they go into a semi-sleepy state (called torpor) during the winter months so they probably aren’t dashing around in the snow.

Some of the houses around here are in or near wooded properties where deer tend to hang out; no deer have come into my territory though I do see them at the edges of fields as I drive around. I have also seen a red fox dashing across a local busy road. I am sure they are making their own tracks somewhere other than around my house.

 

It is hard to look at the tracks and ignore their imprint. It is a reminder that we share this earth with many others and we all leave our impressions, whether in the snow for all to see or in the energy for all to feel. Our actions and speech, the way we interrelate with those around us whether human or otherwise, all has an impact. Which brings to mind the questions of what symbolic footprint we want to display and whether we can change our impression as our understanding of our interconnectedness on Earth grows. I believe we can. I believe we are getting to the point where we need to - for the earth and the natural world, for ourselves, and for future generations.

Have fun with the kids the next time it snows. See what tracks you can identify:

http://www.maine.gov/sos/kids/about/tracks.htm

Geese on the Go

Geese have been on the go these past months. They can be seen, and heard, in their v-shaped migration to warmer climates. It’s a long trip and they have to stop along the way for rest and food. I was on my way home from grocery shopping when I saw a flock of geese chowing down on small patch of bedraggled grass between busy roadways. Not a particularly inviting place to take their respite. But then this area didn’t always look like this. The place where the geese had landed used to be a wide stretch of open, grassy ground. There were two roads that intersected, with green medians stretching along the length of them. There was no overpass, no jug handles, no ramps coming off the main arteries looping around and heading backwards in a confusing attempt to keep some semblance of approach to the town’s main street.

The geese had no map showing them the “improvements” to the road. Migration is partly a response to the freezing of the water supply up north and the lack of food during the cold months of the year. It also seems to be a learned behavior, calling geese year after year to the places they have been before. Which brings up the problem of the conflict between natural habitat and human expansion. Suburban growth has altered much of the local environment.

Things are changing, though. Many communities are beginning to see the value of preserving undeveloped land; people are working with their townships to preserve their farms, woodland, or open fields in a  movement to keep land free of development. Other things are changing, too. The temperature of the earth is heating up (this has been the warmest decade in recorded history) so maybe the geese won’t have to migrate in the future. It would be easier for them, no doubt, but I must say, I would miss seeing their elegant flight formations and hearing the call that heralds the change of seasons. 

The Canada Goose makes the long trip:

https://americanexpedition.us/canada-goose#migration

How is the earth heating up?

http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/GlobalWarming/page2.php

Animal Crossing: Be Careful Out There

Animal Crossing: Be Careful Out There

I have seen many crossing signs, all meant to protect the local wildlife from traffic along the road. There are Deer Crossing, Duck Crossing, Geese Crossing, and Horse Crossing signs among others in my expanded neighborhood. This is the first sign I have ever seen that specifies Waiters. Really. Waiters. It was appropriate, though. The café in Costa Rica has an outdoor seating area across a narrow road and waiters are constantly dodging cars as they hustle back and forth with patrons’ orders. While it brings a smile to anyone driving past, it brings the same warning to be careful.

We share habitats with animals throughout the world. Our roads, as wonderful as they are in keeping us connected, pose major problems for wildlife. They cut across grazing fields and interfere with the natural wildlife activity. As more communities spring up and more roads are constructed, more danger exists for the native inhabitants of the area. And animal/human contact endangers both, especially when a fast moving vehicle is in play.

The Wildlife Collision Prevention Program, of the British Columbia Conservation Foundation, offers “Hints for the Highways” on how to avoid collisions and what to do if a collision is unavoidable http://www.wildlifeaccidents.ca/hints.htm

Let’s try to be careful out there and pay attention to those signs. 

 

There are a lot more animal crossing signs globally than the familiar Deer Crossing. Here are some you may not have thought of: http://victorystore.com/signs/crossing_signs/animal_crossing.php

Sunrise Possibilities

Sunrise Possibilities

Early in the morning, before the world is fully awake, dawn washes the sky in soft hues appropriate for sleepy eyes. As we, and the day awaken, the sun rises above the horizon and the colors deepen to paint the day with possibilities.

The quality of a sunrise depends on what happens on the earth. It depends more on the science of light than on esthetics. Minute particles of dust, such tiny things, have an impact on the display. The quality of the air, often not the best for breathing or for the planet, is transformed before our eyes.

But that doesn’t negate the wonder of what we see. Our eyes can take in the ragtag pieces of the ordinary and discern the beauty of the whole. And the sky provides a canvas to blend it all in harmony. Who can be immune to Mother Nature’s palette?

The holidays are over and the New Year, like the sunrise, has lifted above the horizon to offer possibilities for us all. Can we look beyond our differences in culture, in gender, in religious preference, in financial status, and accept everyone as worthy? Is it possible in this year to set aside the dirt and grime and atrocity of war to coat the world in peace? 

Each sunrise is different. Each day is different. And so is each year. We are experiencing the sunrise of 2013.  Let’s see the promise of the new year and rediscover the beauty that lies within peaceful possibilities.

Want to know why the sky changes colors?

http://www.sewanee.edu/chem/Chem&Art/Detail_Pages/ColorProjects_2004/Adams/Adams%20project.htm

Fine for Finches

Fine for Finches   

In the summer our forsythia bush is green and full, creating a private nesting environment for a host of our local House Finches. They are the little birds that flock around the feeders and serenade us with song.

The bush is pretty bare, now that winter has arrived. A few leaves are hanging on in homage to the warm weather we had this fall but otherwise it would not seem to be a particularly good place for protective covering. Yet the finches find it to be a good spot to hang out.

And it is understandable. Look at the forsythia’s winter coloring, all grays and browns, perfect blend for a finch. At least for the female House Finch. Male House Finches are more colorful, with splashes of red feathers on their heads and chest. But even so, the inside of the bush is a tangle of branches, easy enough for such a small bird to move through but hard for a larger bird, such as the predatory hawk that has been hovering around the treetops recently, to navigate. It seems that the bush’s qualities are just fine for finches. They come out when they choose and hunker in when they need to.

  

And perhaps that is a quality we humans should cultivate. It is wonderful to be out in the open, to show the world our best, our beauty, our skills. Then there are times for introspection. This year has been rough with storms, with guns, with political stagnation.

Let’s make next year safer. Let’s be proactive in the face of natural threats. Let’s be protective of our public spaces. Let’s work together for the good of all. Let’s make 2013 a year of cooperation and caring so that we can sing our own beautiful songs.

Listen to the finches:

http://www.birdjam.com/birdsong.php?id=15

Some finch facts:

http://www.thegalenaterritory.com/viewpage.cfm?id=221

The Common and Uncommon Nuthatch

The Common and Uncommon Nuthatch

The White-breasted Nuthatch is a fairly common bird. It has ordinary coloring – black and gray with white underparts – and is small, about the size of a sparrow. It frequents woodlands and deciduous forests like the Black-capped Chickadee. It makes its nest in tree hollows like the woodpecker and, also like the woodpecker, has an undulating flying pattern. It eats insects and seeds (particularly sunflower seeds) like so many other birds. So what makes this bird unique? 

It’s an upside-down creature most of the time while other birds have more of a rightside-up personality. The Nuthatch is the only bird that regularly starts at the top of the tree (or birdfeeder) and works its way down as it seeks its food. There is an advantage to going downward; the bird is able to see food overlooked by the usual upward direction of other birds.

And that is what speaks to me. What causes this one bird, who is like other birds in lots of ways, to do something different when it would be so easy to do what the rest of the bird world does?

It is intriguing to see what the natural world offers as mirrors. This simple example makes me think of us, the human species, and how we have so many commonalities – in culture, in peer groups, in professions, in fashions, etc. – that make it almost inevitable that we be the same. Like the Nuthatch, however, we may have to deviate from the usual to find what nourishes us, what distinguishes us as individuals. And it is that something that helps us to express our true, particular nature within the broader spectrum of humanity.

Here is a general introduction to the Nuthatch and for more specific information about the White-breasted Nuthatch, click on the link at the left.

http://www.birdnature.com/nutmain.html

Cuba Today

Cuba Today

My backyard really expanded last week – all the way to Cuba! We had the opportunity to visit the island that is so close to us, a mere ninety miles from Miami, and yet so far from our ability to interact, at least until recently. We went with Grand Circle Foundation, one of the licensed groups that lead people-to-people cultural exchange tours. What we found was a resourceful culture, friendly people, and music that enlivens everything.

Much of what you see is reflective of the 1950s (oh, those cars!) when Cuba was a booming tourist destination. But all was not well in the coastal paradise. There was a large class discrepancy. In 1959, Fidel Castro ousted Batista who, when it looked like he would be voted out of power, had taken over total control of the government. Most privately owned businesses and properties became state-owned. Cuba became aligned with the Soviet Union and communism and estranged from the United States. This relationship lasted until the USSR was officially dissolved in 1991. The dissolution left Cuba in crisis. Without the economic support the USSR had provided, food was scarce and poverty reigned.

Cuba is still struggling. There are remnants of functional Soviet architecture but also of the grander architectural styles that came with Spanish colonization. Much of that, unfortunately, is in need of repair, which is too costly for most Cubans. Buildings occasionally fall down, sometimes with the people in them. Many of the buildings have black mold on them, something that is hard to control in such a humid climate.

Cuba’s new leader Raul Castro, Fidel’s brother, is beginning to loosen some restrictions. We visited a cooperative organic farm. The land is still state owned but the produce can be sold privately. We ate in a few paladars, small, privately owned restaurants located in homes. They provide a chance to practice both Spanish and English, depending on which side of the menu you’re on. Our tour was busy but it left us time to wander the cities and interact with local residents who are eager to connect.

And yes, we did see nature in various forms. We saw cranes looking for lunch in Cienfuegos, a city that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We visited a family that owns a tobacco farm where there was a variety of livestock, lots of chickens and a rooster who was intent on getting us to feed him some of the bananas we were eating (there were three delicious local varieties). We went through a nature preserve and learned about trees that are native, and some invasive, to Cuba. There was el malacon, the miles-long promenade in Havana, a great place to see the harbor and a popular venue to stroll along.

We did not cover the whole island. We did not – yet – get to the Vinales Valley, another UNESCO World Heritage Site, or to the many beaches that made Cuba a major vacation spot. To get a general overview of the natural diversity of Cuba, look at photographer Steve Winter’s video http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0311/sights_n_sounds/media2.html.  He spent five months there for National Geographic Magazine and his photographs will give you some idea of the depth and beauty of Cuba.

One day perhaps, sooner rather than later I hope, our countries will be able to set aside our former antagonisms and re-establish relations. The people-to-people concept where we have personal, positive interactions with each other is a good way to help facilitate the process. As the world becomes a more global neighborhood, can we continue to ignore Cuba today, our next-door neighbor?  Should we?

Frommer’s gives a brief description of some natural attractions:

http://www.frommers.com/destinations/cuba/3173020137.html

And for history buffs, a timeline of Cuba’s history:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/1203355.stm