Entering Eagle Bluffs Conservation Area this morning, the windows down on my pickup, it looked like January but felt like April. The brown vegetation and barren trees evoked an image of winter but the mild air, scented with the fragrance of moist soil, spoke of early spring. A rosy dawn backlit the hills to the east, augmenting the feel of an April morning.
Mallards were abundant on the ponds and wet fields, joined by sizable flocks of coot, gadwall, pied-billed grebes and Canada geese; small flocks of shovelers, lesser scaup and ring-necked ducks also graced the scene. As is typical for mid winter, ring-billed gulls swirled above the wetlands, northern harriers strafed the crop fields, red-tailed hawks patrolled the grasslands and an immature bald eagle circled overhead, spooking the ducks. Great blue herons stalked the shallows, sharp-shinned hawks darted through the woodlands and, surprisingly, a quartet of American white pelicans gathered along a marshy shoreline, satisfied to stay up north for this mild winter season.
Parking in a remote lot, I got out to enjoy the spring-like conditions; since the waterfowl hunters have departed and the spring birding crowd has not yet arrived, I was treated to the peaceful solitude of the winter season, minus the blowing snow and frigid air. Though a freight train rumbled west of the Missouri, all other sounds were natural, including the raucous call of crows, the muted chatter of waterfowl, the rustling of sparrows in the dry grass and the drumming of woodpeckers in the riverside forest. A special treat was the distant howl of a coyote, yet another sign that the season of renewal will soon invade the floodplain; I could almost see the purple haze of henbit on the barren fields.
Selasa, 31 Januari 2012
Senin, 30 Januari 2012
Dividing Humanity
We have long become familiar with Christian colleges, Christian bookstores and, more recently, Christian dating services. Now, as advertised on TV last evening, there is a Christian insurance company that, according to their ad, only welcomes nonsmoking Christians. One wonders if they are willing to insure morbidly obese Christians; how about Christians who abuse alcohol or use injectable street drugs? Why not take a chance with Jewish tri-atheletes or Muslim vegetarians?
While they publicly espouse tolerance, religious organizations, zealously self-righteous, are among the most divisive forces in human society. If businesses can restrict access to members of one religion, why not discriminate based on race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender or socioeconomic status?
Perhaps this company is just testing the waters, trying to determine how sensitive America might be to such policies. Perhaps they are blind to the sectarian strife that pervades many other nations across this globe. Or perhaps they are just simple-minded zealots who place their narrow-minded views above any concern for the welfare of human society. Regardless of their motivation, their message of intolerance must be challenged if our country is to uphold the freedoms that we so vigorously defend.
While they publicly espouse tolerance, religious organizations, zealously self-righteous, are among the most divisive forces in human society. If businesses can restrict access to members of one religion, why not discriminate based on race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender or socioeconomic status?
Perhaps this company is just testing the waters, trying to determine how sensitive America might be to such policies. Perhaps they are blind to the sectarian strife that pervades many other nations across this globe. Or perhaps they are just simple-minded zealots who place their narrow-minded views above any concern for the welfare of human society. Regardless of their motivation, their message of intolerance must be challenged if our country is to uphold the freedoms that we so vigorously defend.
Minggu, 29 Januari 2012
White-throat Serenade
Every winter evening, as the sun begins to set behind a woodland to our west, a flock of white-throated sparrows returns to our backyard feeder. Filtering in as pairs or small groups, they scour the ground for fallen seed; often joined by northern cardinals, they are polite birds, not inclined to squabble over the handouts.
After a period of silence through early winter, they have begun to sing during the past week, a response to the lengthening daylight. Their distinctive, homesick tune will increase in intensity over the next several months and, by mid April, they will depart for Canada to breed in the vast Northwoods.
Accustomed to chilly, gray conditions, white-throats are also among the first birds to become active on winter mornings and their song is a welcome serenade on my walk to work. More importantly, it offers reassurance that winter is loosing its grip and that the mild, fragrant days of early spring are on the horizon.
After a period of silence through early winter, they have begun to sing during the past week, a response to the lengthening daylight. Their distinctive, homesick tune will increase in intensity over the next several months and, by mid April, they will depart for Canada to breed in the vast Northwoods.
Accustomed to chilly, gray conditions, white-throats are also among the first birds to become active on winter mornings and their song is a welcome serenade on my walk to work. More importantly, it offers reassurance that winter is loosing its grip and that the mild, fragrant days of early spring are on the horizon.
Sabtu, 28 Januari 2012
The Purpose of Life
Throughout human history, man has pondered the purpose and meaning of life. Endowed with a large brain, we have convinced ourselves that the ecosystems of planet Earth were created for our benefit and human cultures have imagined a wide range of gods that facilitate and govern that process. The fact that life evolved almost 3.6 billion years before our own species appeared is ignored or rejected by most religious persons; after all, they believe that this earth-bound life is preparation for a more significant, eternal existence.
If we strip away the cloud of human mysticism, we find that life has the single purpose of sustaining itself and has "learned" that diversification is the best means to accomplish that goal. In the words of that thoughtful scientist in the film Jurassic Park, "life will find a way."
Unfortunately, the mysticism of human society often impedes the purpose of life, as religious and sectarian wars decimate populations and as the culture of human superiority encourages the exploitation of our natural resources. If we truly support the purpose of life, we humans need to end our futile conflicts, devote ourselves to protecting the natural diversity of this planet and ensure that our own unbridled population growth does not threaten the sustainability of Earth's ecosystems.
If we strip away the cloud of human mysticism, we find that life has the single purpose of sustaining itself and has "learned" that diversification is the best means to accomplish that goal. In the words of that thoughtful scientist in the film Jurassic Park, "life will find a way."
Unfortunately, the mysticism of human society often impedes the purpose of life, as religious and sectarian wars decimate populations and as the culture of human superiority encourages the exploitation of our natural resources. If we truly support the purpose of life, we humans need to end our futile conflicts, devote ourselves to protecting the natural diversity of this planet and ensure that our own unbridled population growth does not threaten the sustainability of Earth's ecosystems.
Jumat, 27 Januari 2012
American Gators
Crocodilians, now represented by crocodiles, alligators and caimans, split from other reptiles and early dinosaurs back in the Triassic Period, some 200 million years ago. Modern alligators are limited to two species: the American alligator and its smaller cousin in southern China; our gator, the largest reptile in North America, inhabits the Southeast Coastal Plain, from North Carolina to Texas.
Up to 15 feet long and weighing as much as 800 pounds, adult males bellow in mid spring to attract a mate. Once impregnated, the female builds a nest mound of rotting vegetation and deposits 20-50 eggs before covering them with more vegetation. Staying close by until they hatch (usually in August), the mother protects her young, digging them out and carrying them to open water in her mouth; she will continue to watch over her offspring for their first year of life. Those eggs that incubate at temperatures above 90 degrees F produce males while those below 86 degrees produce females; nest temperatures in between these parameters yield a mix of genders.
Young alligators may fall victim to a variety of predators, including snakes, large fish, snapping turtles, raccoons, bobcats, bald eagles and other alligators; once fully grown, however, American gators are threatened only by human hunters and habitat loss and may live 50 years or more in the wild. Nearly driven to extinction by overhunting and swamp drainage during the first half of the 20th Century, these large reptiles are now common in freshwater marshlands (and some brackish areas) of the Coastal Plain; they are especially numerous in Florida and Louisiana. Adults feed on a wide variety of fish, reptiles, birds and mammals and can pose a threat to humans if harassed or startled; they have been known to grab pets or even young children on rare occasions. American gators are also raised in captivity for their meat and leathery hide and, unfortunately, are victims of the tourist carnival industry across the Deep South.
Up to 15 feet long and weighing as much as 800 pounds, adult males bellow in mid spring to attract a mate. Once impregnated, the female builds a nest mound of rotting vegetation and deposits 20-50 eggs before covering them with more vegetation. Staying close by until they hatch (usually in August), the mother protects her young, digging them out and carrying them to open water in her mouth; she will continue to watch over her offspring for their first year of life. Those eggs that incubate at temperatures above 90 degrees F produce males while those below 86 degrees produce females; nest temperatures in between these parameters yield a mix of genders.
Young alligators may fall victim to a variety of predators, including snakes, large fish, snapping turtles, raccoons, bobcats, bald eagles and other alligators; once fully grown, however, American gators are threatened only by human hunters and habitat loss and may live 50 years or more in the wild. Nearly driven to extinction by overhunting and swamp drainage during the first half of the 20th Century, these large reptiles are now common in freshwater marshlands (and some brackish areas) of the Coastal Plain; they are especially numerous in Florida and Louisiana. Adults feed on a wide variety of fish, reptiles, birds and mammals and can pose a threat to humans if harassed or startled; they have been known to grab pets or even young children on rare occasions. American gators are also raised in captivity for their meat and leathery hide and, unfortunately, are victims of the tourist carnival industry across the Deep South.
Kamis, 26 Januari 2012
Mixing Oil & Wetlands
Since I drive a car and heat my home, it would be hypocritical of me to renounce oil production in the U.S. or elsewhere across the globe. Nevertheless, the oil industry has a tendency to minimize its potential impact on wetlands, the most productive ecosystems on our planet.
Sabine National Wildlife Refuge, in extreme southwest Louisiana, is the largest wetland preserve along the Gulf Coast, renowned for its large flocks of wintering waterfowl, its wide variety of wading birds and its resident population of American alligators and wetland mammals. Yet, oil production continues on this preserve despite a significant spill during the winter of 2002-2003 and the devastation of Hurricane Rita, in September, 2005, which spread more than 1400 barrels of toxic chemicals across the refuge. More recently, shortcuts in the startup of BP's Deepwater Horizon inundated coastal marshlands with crude oil, the worst man-made disaster in the history of the Gulf of Mexico. Now, despite concerns for potential damage to wetlands and groundwater across the unique sandhills ecosystem of western Nebraska, conservative politicians and their oil company supporters are attempting to push through the Keystone Pipeline Project before appropriate environmental studies are complete. And, of course, conservationists have been battling proposals to drill in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for decades.
While we cannot replace fossil fuels with "green" sources of energy overnight, it is equally short-sighted for the oil industry to minimize its impact on fragile and vital ecosystems across our planet. Oil and wetlands will not mix and we destroy those crucibles of life at our own peril.
Sabine National Wildlife Refuge, in extreme southwest Louisiana, is the largest wetland preserve along the Gulf Coast, renowned for its large flocks of wintering waterfowl, its wide variety of wading birds and its resident population of American alligators and wetland mammals. Yet, oil production continues on this preserve despite a significant spill during the winter of 2002-2003 and the devastation of Hurricane Rita, in September, 2005, which spread more than 1400 barrels of toxic chemicals across the refuge. More recently, shortcuts in the startup of BP's Deepwater Horizon inundated coastal marshlands with crude oil, the worst man-made disaster in the history of the Gulf of Mexico. Now, despite concerns for potential damage to wetlands and groundwater across the unique sandhills ecosystem of western Nebraska, conservative politicians and their oil company supporters are attempting to push through the Keystone Pipeline Project before appropriate environmental studies are complete. And, of course, conservationists have been battling proposals to drill in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for decades.
While we cannot replace fossil fuels with "green" sources of energy overnight, it is equally short-sighted for the oil industry to minimize its impact on fragile and vital ecosystems across our planet. Oil and wetlands will not mix and we destroy those crucibles of life at our own peril.
Rabu, 25 Januari 2012
Harney Basin
Harney Basin is a geologic and topographic basin in southeast Oregon; while it sits adjacent to the northwest corner of the Great Basin, it is separated from that province by the massive fault-block of the Steens Mountain ridge. On its north side, the Harney Basin is bordered by the southern edge of the Blue Mountains while a high lava plain separates the basin from the watersheds of the John Day and Klamath Rivers to the northwest and southwest, respectively.
During warm interglacial periods of the Pleistocene, glacial meltwater from the adjacent highlands filled the Harney Basin, spilling northeastward into the Malheur River, a tributary of the Snake River. Today, as the climate has warmed through the Holocene, the floor of Harney Basin has become a high desert, receiving only 6 inches of precipitation each year; a low divide along the basin's northeast edge, formerly a spillway, now completes the basin topography and all streams flow inward toward Harney and Malheur Lakes, on the basin's floor. Burns, Oregon, is the only sizable town in this remote, high desert basin.
While most of the basin floor is high and dry, with elevations between 4000 and 5200 feet, Malheur Lake, fed by the Silvies River from the Blue Mountains and the Blitzen River from Steens Mountain, provides a rich and welcome oasis for migrant waterfowl, shorebirds, white pelicans and sandhill cranes. Home to many other species as well, the lake and its wetlands are protected as the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge; during seasons with heavy precipitation or snowmelt, Malheur Lake spills west toward Harney Lake, an ephemeral, salt pan lake that is the topographic sink of Harney Basin.
During warm interglacial periods of the Pleistocene, glacial meltwater from the adjacent highlands filled the Harney Basin, spilling northeastward into the Malheur River, a tributary of the Snake River. Today, as the climate has warmed through the Holocene, the floor of Harney Basin has become a high desert, receiving only 6 inches of precipitation each year; a low divide along the basin's northeast edge, formerly a spillway, now completes the basin topography and all streams flow inward toward Harney and Malheur Lakes, on the basin's floor. Burns, Oregon, is the only sizable town in this remote, high desert basin.
While most of the basin floor is high and dry, with elevations between 4000 and 5200 feet, Malheur Lake, fed by the Silvies River from the Blue Mountains and the Blitzen River from Steens Mountain, provides a rich and welcome oasis for migrant waterfowl, shorebirds, white pelicans and sandhill cranes. Home to many other species as well, the lake and its wetlands are protected as the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge; during seasons with heavy precipitation or snowmelt, Malheur Lake spills west toward Harney Lake, an ephemeral, salt pan lake that is the topographic sink of Harney Basin.
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