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#1 | |||
A Bee's Best Friend
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Chicago Illinois USA
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Stephen Packard spends a lot of time walking and observing not only the restoration projects and natural area of Chicagoland, but also the reactions of the many volunteers and visitors as they encounter wildlife.
Utilizing his many years experience and knowledge gained, he discusses what might sometimes seem harsh and conflicting. Vestal Grove: Animals, Cuteness, and Pain Quote:
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#2 | |
WG Prize & Gift Coordinator
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Michigan
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Another hmmmmm Perhaps that was the reason why this year's baby, relatively curious, tame, and friendly didn't know any better than to sit on exposed perches during the night! She may have apologized to the animals but sometimes in taming them it costs them their LIFE! If she wants to show people things she should be doing it with the domestics NOT the wild born. Period!
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The successful woman is the woman that had the chance and took it! A walk among the elusive Whitetail Deer |
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#3 | |
A Bee's Best Friend
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Chicago Illinois USA
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He was talking about the juvenile red tailed hawk being inexperienced and getting taken by an owl because he was too exposed. They never captured the hawk just encountered it throughout the season. He would not tame a wild animal and does not band them but does on occasion find it useful to have people encounter creatures they might be afraid of or consider pests.
Stephen Packard is a land steward, restoration leader, and ecological educator. He knows the native plants as well as the creatures of our area and I have been through a prairie tour with him. I admire his work/ Quote:
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#4 |
A Bee's Best Friend
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Chicago Illinois USA
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Havalotta, I do understand and respect your viewpoint. Mostly I leave the creatures alone except to take an occasional picture. I have though, allowed my grandson to pet a male bumble bee resting on a stem in late summer evening and hold a tomato hornworm while I took a picture then released. I once finished raising a monarch butterfly that a niece brought in. We disturb the wild creatures so much already that I am reluctant to do too much myself. But I can also understand those that think it helps to engage the somewhat reluctant or distanced average city dweller.
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#5 |
Hippie Gardener
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Michigan
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This article brings to mind a Yellowstone incident from a few years back.
We were watching wolves in the Lamar Valley. As I recall, it was July of 2000 or 2001. The Druid Peak Pack had their rendezvous site near the river in a highly visible area of the valley. By climbing a hill and setting up scopes, it was quite easy to observe them that summer. A small group gathered on that morning to watch the wolves. We watched a cow elk and a calf wander down to the river for a drink and then linger to graze in the open. This was still pretty early in the reintroduction and not all the elk had learned to be on the lookout for wolves. On this morning, two adults and three pups were at the rendezvous site. The rest of the pack must have been off on a walkabout somewhere. We watched as the three youngsters separated the calf from the cow elk. I doubt that these were pups-of-the-year, they would have been much too young to do it. They were likely yearlings. The two adult wolves paced and watched as the three youngsters dodged the cow's kicks and managed to take down that calf. The watchers on the hill quickly "took sides", some cheering for the pups and others for the elk. It was nature doing what nature does, but people couldn't help emotionally connecting with one or the other. The cow elk was agitated for a few minutes and then just went back to grazing as if nothing had happened. She didn't even leave the area right away. Wolves are still pretty easy to see in the Lamar Valley, but not as easy as it was during the couple of summers they used that rendezvous site. Elk have become more wary of wolves and wolves have become more wary of humans since wolf hunting has become legal.
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One with the earth, with the sky, one with everything in life. I believe it will start with conviction of the heart. ~Kenny Loggins~ |
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#6 |
WG Hospitality & UAOKA recipient
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Pennsylvania
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Nothing to add yet, but I am enjoying this thread.
Thank you for posting and for sharing your thoughts and experiences.
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"If suburbia were landscaped with meadows, prairies, thickets or forests, or combinations of these, then the water would sparkle, fish would be good to eat again, birds would sing and human spirits would soar." ~ Lorrie Otto ~ A Native Backyard Blog ~ |
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#7 |
WG Facebook Administrator
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Lyme, NH
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Nature is "red in tooth and claw." There's no way to change that; we can only hope to understand it better. In my view, it is best to develop tough-mindedness about it; otherwise, we may shrink from doing the things we need to do to conserve (like culling wild horses or wild boar).
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"I take the part of the trees as against all their enemies." -J.R.R. Tolkien |
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#8 |
Salamander
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Olympia, WA
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It is a hard thing. During my years as a volunteer wildlife rehabitator, I cared for squirrels and songbirds, hawks and owls. Predators and prey. And I rooted for each one when I released it. I had to kill mice to give to an owl - that was hard, but necessary. I think it's one of the best parts of humanity that we can have empathy and compassion for another creature. And it's not a strictly human characteristic -- I see it in my dogs all the time, and read about it in wild animals. I'm not sure how I balance my love of both predator and prey. Somehow it's acceptable when it's done for survival. Yet I'm enraged, furious, and despise trophy hunters, trappers, and people trying to timber old growth or otherwise destroy the environment.
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Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair. -- Kahlil Gibran |
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#9 | |
Great Horned Owl
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Northeastern MA
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"Know thyself." Oracle at Delphi |
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#10 |
WG Prize & Gift Coordinator
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Michigan
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Gloria..How do you know if it is a male or female bumble bee?
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The successful woman is the woman that had the chance and took it! A walk among the elusive Whitetail Deer |
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Tags |
conflicting, emotions, humans, nature, observe |
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