Wednesday, May 04, 2005

The Ivory-billed Woodpecker Speaks



Linked from here (MSNBC). By Tom Toles.

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© 2004, 2005, 2006 by GrrlScientist

posted by GrrlScientist at 06:44

5 Peer Reviews:

Blogger robin andrea said...

That's exactly it, what scared me about the hype. Everything reduced to its logical absurdist conclusion-- a theme park and casino. And the natural habitat destroyed for money-making adventures disguised as an opportunity for family fun and employment for the locals.

1:55 PM  
Blogger GrrlScientist said...

I hope this doesn't happen and in fact, it looks like the Nature Conservancy has things well in hand with regards to this possibility. Of course, as a nearly life-long member of the Nature Conservancy, I have tremendous respect for them and their mission -- respect that more people should share. But we shall see how things develop. But I think the hype will result in MANY people keeping a close eye on things, so that alone should help the bird.

My sources tell me that the next large-scale search for the bird will not take place until this autumn, after the leaves have fallen.

9:17 AM  
Blogger Cervantes said...

Joni Mitchell said it best:

Cut down the trees
Put 'em in a tree museum . . .

1:08 PM  
Blogger Tabor said...

This cartoon is not really an exaggeration of what happens. We always end up loving parts of nature to death!

7:08 AM  
Blogger GrrlScientist said...

Yes, Tabor, we do tend to do that, don't we? I have suggested that the Nature Conservancy put a minicam into a nest cavity (when they find one) and stream that video onto the web as they do for so many other bird species, especially raptors (these cameras are becoming smaller and less intrusive every day). Hopefully, that will satisfy people's desire to see these birds "up close and personal". Web observers would get fewer mosquito bites, too.

Unfortunately, we cannot have a streaming feed of the birds when they are not nesting because they range too widely.

GrrlScientist

7:18 AM  

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