By Science Outreach Intern Katrina McCollough
Issue Spotlight: Entrapment
What We Can Do Beach cleanups are a great way to make an impact on the environment and get outside. Plastics and trash make their ways down our rivers into the ocean, only to be brought up on shore hundreds or thousands of miles away. California Coastal Cleanup, in 2020 while everyone was struggling through the height of the pandemic, spent their year collecting 98,100 pounds of trash and recycling. You don’t need to join a group, although it does make it more fun, bring paper bags and some gloves and just pick up what you see anytime you visit the beach. You will be amazed at some of the things that wash up on our shores. The Mission of Perry's Journey - A Message from the Illustrator It’s important we understand that just because birds can fly over it all, doesn’t mean they aren’t affected by what’s going on down here on the ground. The population of North American birds has dropped by nearly 30% since the 1970s, that is a total of almost 3 billion birds. Gone. Birds are incredibly important to the balance of our ecosystems: they are essential as pollinators and for seed dispersal, particularly for native plants, and they feed on and help control a variety of critters we consider pests like insects and rodents. Bird studies teach us about climate and the environment, and the birds themselves are key indicators of environmental change. And, most simply, birds are beautiful, and they provide us with music and joy. The protagonist of this story, Perry, is doing his part as a bird, migrating to his northern breeding location to hopefully pass on his little brown bird genes. It’s all he can do. Perry’s Journey illustrates the important journey of birds like him across the globe, who are doing their parts to help. Migrating birds are disproportionately affected because they need not just one habitat, but multiple habitats that can serve as stopping points along their journeys. We call these migration corridors and it’s important that they are protected: for the birds’ sakes as well as our own. Birds like Perry can’t control what happens on the ground, or in the water and air, but we can. During Perry’s journey over the couse of ten posts, we will go into some of the main issues facing not just migrating birds, but all birds, and what you can do to help. To support SFBBO's work to conserve birds and their habitats through science and outreach, please make a donation to our Spring Appeal!
1 Comment
Marty Michael
6/13/2022 06:00:40 pm
Hi Katrina,
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WingbeatWingbeat is a blog where you can find the most recent stories about our science and outreach work. We'll also share guest posts from volunteers, donors, partners, and others in the avian science and conservation world. To be a guest writer, please contact [email protected]. Archives
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