Would you want to work on a dead planet?

Driving past the Sunrise River pools north of County Road 36 in the Carlos Avery Wildlife Management Area this morning I saw about half a dozen or so red-winged blackbirds. First time this year I’ve seen any. There was also a group of three “birders” (?) on the southern edge of the bridge with binoculars pointed at something I couldn’t see.

red-winged blackbird, early April

Photo by J. Harrington

Snow is melting, again. Ice in the pools is melting, again. The sun is shining, again. Spring is here, again. We hope it stays this time. It would be a treat to be able to plant some things by the time we get to Earth Day on the 22nd. We know, last frost date around here isn’t until the last 10 days of May and the first 28℉ freeze is expected the last 10 days of October. Here in the North Country, more than half the year falls outside the growing season.

I’m beginning to wonder if the persistent cloudiness we’re experiencing is related to climate change. Warmer air holds more moisture, moisture in the air makes clouds and all that. Increased cloudiness would be a real downer for me. Except when the ground is covered by bright white snow reflecting sunlight to a blinding degree, I am addicted to sunshine. I wonder if anyone has done an analysis of reduced productivity of solar panels due to increasing cloudiness. Thanks to a certain search engine, we learn that the answer is yes, they’ve studied it.

Personally, I think we’d all be better off if most of the world modeled its businesses pretty much the way fly fishing does. I was pondering about fly fishing as a model for world peace last week. [No, I didn’t write about it.] I’m unaware of any shooting wars among various schools of fly fishing. Everyone seems pretty dedicated to doing things their own way combined with a “live and let live” philosophy. Everyone, or at least most, are also committed to protecting the resource, clean, cool water with productive habitat, needed to support the “industry.” It’s also know as a commons. Earlier today I read an assessment by Chris Wood, president of Trout Unlimited, about Selling fly fishing and doing conservation. It’s worth your time to read and think about how we can get other industries to adopt a similar approach. Starting with agriculture would be nice.

Conservation Status

By Penny Boxall

Least concern


Near threatened


Vulnerable


Endangered


Critically endangered


Extinct in the wild


Extinct

More than you
could shake a stick at

Enough for you
to shake a stick at

I wish you would
put that stick down

Can’t see the wood
for the trees

What is the sound
of a tree falling

What is the sound
of no trees falling

What is
                                                                             a tree

 

Notes:

This poem is part of a portfolio of work on the occasion of Edwin Morgan’s centenary. Read the introduction by James McGonigal here.

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