I was awoken by a strange sound this morning. At first I thought it was a cell phone. Rhythmic, pulsing. But it was so quiet and staccato and I didn't recognize the ring. As I listened more closely I realized that it was coming from outside my window. A woodpecker! I heard it then, an hour later when I took Ronald for a walk, and on my way home at lunchtime. Nature in Somerville... who'd have dreamt it? It reminded me of a good friend's message about the work of the Urban Ecology Institute to preserve landscapes and the recent capture of a coyote in Central Park. Nature keeps fighting for a foothold and sometimes we help...
...and sometimes we hurt ourselves in the process. This article in Seed Magazine discusses attempts to balance economics and environmental goals, and this controversial (and freely downloadable PDF) entitled "Challenge to Conservationists" in Worldwatch magazine is about the conflict between conservation organizations and indigenous peoples.
It feels like the 2004 election. Loud arguments on either extreme and very little progress toward solving problems. We need to take a page from this group of cattle ranchers and environmentalists (what a combo!) and extend the Radical Center conservation ethic to more people. Some can't see Aldo Leopold's side where nature has intrinsic value despite it's utility to humans. Some can't see the side of polluters who refuse to clean up their act. I think most would be able to meet in the center. That's where progress is made.
UPDATE: 3/29/06 @ 11pm - Just played bar trivia with an educator from, randomly, the Urban Ecology Institute. We compared notes on working in schools and traded blog URLs. Here's his.
Tuesday, March 28
WAKE-UP CALL
I was awoken by a strange sound this morning. At first I thought it was a cell phone. Rhythmic, pulsing. But it was so quiet and staccato and I didn't recognize the ring. As I listened more closely I realized that it was coming from outside my window. A woodpecker! I heard it then, an hour later when I took Ronald for a walk, and on my way home at lunchtime. Nature in Somerville... who'd have dreamt it? It reminded me of a good friend's message about the work of the Urban Ecology Institute to preserve landscapes and the recent capture of a coyote in Central Park. Nature keeps fighting for a foothold and sometimes we help...
...and sometimes we hurt ourselves in the process. This article in Seed Magazine discusses attempts to balance economics and environmental goals, and this controversial (and freely downloadable PDF) entitled "Challenge to Conservationists" in Worldwatch magazine is about the conflict between conservation organizations and indigenous peoples.
It feels like the 2004 election. Loud arguments on either extreme and very little progress toward solving problems. We need to take a page from this group of cattle ranchers and environmentalists (what a combo!) and extend the Radical Center conservation ethic to more people. Some can't see Aldo Leopold's side where nature has intrinsic value despite it's utility to humans. Some can't see the side of polluters who refuse to clean up their act. I think most would be able to meet in the center. That's where progress is made.
UPDATE: 3/29/06 @ 11pm - Just played bar trivia with an educator from, randomly, the Urban Ecology Institute. We compared notes on working in schools and traded blog URLs. Here's his.
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